A House Divided
by Jedi Jesi Jiin
Summary: Anakin is now a Sith. With the Jedi's betrayal of he and Padme fresh in their minds Anakin— now Darth Vader— removed the Jedi Order from the face of the galaxy in its near entirety. Now, seventeen years later, the once-thought happy family isn't whole. Power; absolute and addicting, have corrupted the elder Vader's, and their family teeters on the edge of an irreversible division.
1. Prologue

**A House Divided**

 **.**

 **.**

 **.**

 _ **A/N1:**_ **Major AU story!**

 **.**

 **.**

 _ **A/N2:**_ _For the purpose of this story,_ _ **I have changed some canon facts**_ _, such as Han Solo having the Falcon earlier, being younger, and other things like that that I needed to change to fit this story. Thank you._

 **.**

 **.**

 _ **A/N3:**_ _I do not own Star Wars._

 **.**

 **.**

 **Anakin Skywalker has turned to the Dark Side, yet it was not without seeking to come clean before the Jedi Order. He went to the Council for help and confessed his marriage and impending fatherhood, hoping the Jedi would assist him in his struggle not to turn to Darkness. Instead they shunned him and refused to acknowledge Padmé any longer either, despite her pleas for help as she sought to assist Anakin also.**

 **With this betrayal fresh in their minds, Padmé merely watched as Anakin— now Darth Vader to all but her— removed the Jedi Order from the face of the galaxy in its near entirety.**

 **Now, after having completed his final mission on Mustafar, Padmé has come to him so they can speak... and more.**

 **.**

 **.**

 **Prologue:**

 _"Don't try it Anakin!" Obi Wan Kenobi pled as he watched his former student ready to spring onto the hill Obi Wan had claimed as the high ground. "Please!"_

 _"You underestimate me!" Darth Vader shot back venomously. "You always have!"_

 _With that he sprang... and as he knew would happen Obi Wan moved to defend himself, but Vader changed course at the last second, and instead of Obi Wan's blade removing any limbs from Darth Vader, the man landed to the side._

 _In the next moment Obi Wan was the one screaming in agony as Vader removed his lightsaber arm. He then slammed the man into the ground a dangerously close distance to the river of molten lava._

 _Vader held Obi Wan at lightsaber point, looking down his nose at the Jedi as Obi Wan's pain-drunken gaze found his. Vader saw several things flicker through the Jedi Master's gaze then, before acceptance tempered with sadness finally settled in the other's blue depths._

 _"I guess you win, then, Anakin," Obi Wan whispered. "Go ahead. Finish me."_

 _Vader ground his teeth, wanting for nothing more in that instant. But instead of killing his brother— despite it all, Vader could still acknowledge that they had been brothers— Vader lifted his blade._

 _In that instant Obi Wan's pants caught fire and the man shrieked again as his skin was rapidly burned. With a growl, Vader yanked the man uphill and used the Force to put out the flames before he turned away, throwing the Jedi's lightsaber into the magma below._

 _"Get out of my sight... 'for old times' sake'," Vader snarled as he walked away. "And if you ever interfere in my affairs again, I will not hesitate to kill you."_

 _With that Lord Vader returned to the facility, feeling Obi Wan's defeat and reveling in it far more than he could have ever reveled in the man's death. That would have been too easy on Obi Wan. Now he could live in misery for the rest of his days._

 _It was some time before he saw Obi Wan's ship depart like a whipped nexu, and Vader bid him a final, silent goodbye._

 **00000**

The heat was almost more than the Tatooine-native could bear, but even so he ignored it. Yes, it was oppressive, and the atmosphere wretched, but Lord Vader thought the scene befitting of how his Jedi life had fallen to hell.

Now the Jedi were all but extinct, and Vader could have cared less. He hated the Jedi now, after they had turned their backs on him. And with all that he had done for them; for the _galaxy._ They had deserved the fate they were given.

Vader had— unbeknownst to Palpatine, or Darth Sidious as Vader now knew him to be— let only the youngest children live. Only those who were too young to remember his slaughter of their masters, or who were too afraid to even dare rise against him.

Those children were even now being sent to an unspecified location for their future as his servants in the Force. He had spared them, and they now owed their lives to him. They would be well taken care of in their innocent years, and after their training began their continued care would depend on their devotion to him. Their loyalty would keep them alive.

Vader felt a ripple in the Force that drew him from his musings, and when he felt who it was his mind was touched with concern. But he was also glad to know his Angel was here. He needed to talk to her.

Vader made his steady way to the landing pad he knew she would use, and as soon as the ship's ramp was lowered, Darth Vader, Dark Lord of the Sith, rushed forward to greet her.

"Anakin!" Padmé Naberrie Skywalker exclaimed as she threw herself into his arms the best she could while heavily pregnant.

"Padmé," Darth Vader breathed, holding her close. He pulled back after a time, caressing her hair tenderly as he eyed her worriedly. "Are you alright? Why would you come here?"

"Anakin, I needed to see you," Padmé answered, taking his hand. "I need to be with you, I don't care where you are."

A small smile tugged at his lips, and Vader caressed her cheek with the backs of his fingertips. "That's perfect, especially since I wanted to speak with you."

Padmé lifted a bow. "What is it?"

Vader tilted his head somewhat. "Padmé, I am going to kill Palpatine as soon as he names me heir to his new Empire. He may have gotten me to do his bidding, but after all he did to you, and how he lied to me and deceived me all this time... he will die. I will take his hard-won Empire from him and rule it." Here he took Padmé's other hand and held their clasped limbs between their bodies. "And I want you to be my Empress. Rule at my side, Angel. We can raise our children in peace and luxury; train them however we want to. They are already strong in the Force. We can rule however we want to, and we will make the galaxy the place _we_ want it to be."

Padmé was slightly taken aback by his words, and she hesitated, thinking it over. She had loved democracy, the Republic. She had given her life to serving it, and how had it repaid her? By ignoring her pleas time and time again whenever she asked for help.

With the Invasion of Naboo, with help during the Clone Wars, and even as she'd seen the Republic falling apart due to Palpatine... Padmé had done her best, and they had all ignored her. And now with the Jedi Order... that had been her final straw.

"Kriff the Republic: Democracy," Padmé ground out. "And damn the Jedi to hell. All of them."

Padmé squeezed her husband's hands and stepped closer. "We gave them both all we had, risked our marriage time and time again... risked our babies... and they stabbed us in the back."

Padmé took a deep breath and spoke in a clear voice even as Vader smiled happily. "I accept. We will rule, and the galaxy will fall in line, or they will be punished."

Darth Vader laughed almost giddily that his beautiful wife had accepted, and he captured her lips in a passionate kiss, pulling her close.

"I love you, Angel," he whispered after he pulled away.

Padmé took his arm. "Tell me your plans, and I will help however I can. I still have influence in the Senate."

"With pleasure, Milady," Vader replied, taking Padmé inside.

 **(** **A/N:** _Please refer to my profile for information regarding my other, unfinished stories, and if you have questions on them please PM me, don't leave a nasty review. Thank you._ **)**


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter One:**

 **(Seventeen years later)**

Han Solo settled down in his booth with a sigh, Chewbacca across from him. "Well Chewie, I didn't think that game would go quite that south, but I guess I was wrong."

[That's an understatement,] the Wookiee returned with a snort.

"Hey, in all fairness I thought that Gran had a bad hand. Turns out his tells were all faked." Han rubbed a hand on the back of his neck. "Stang, that guy really cleaned me out. Guess we'd better leave before we lose the Falcon too."

Chewie stood with a low growl. [We'll have to take a new job from Jabba just to pay for fuel and supplies again, Han. What were you thinking?]

"Lay off, will ya?" Han snapped irritably as they made their way to the exit. "I said I was sorry, what more do you..."

His words were cut off by the arrival of a squad of armored soldiers from the Empire. The ground soldiers and troopers of the Empire still wore the full-body armor used in the Clone Wars: only the faceplate and coloring had changed. The color of the armor was now olive green with black stripes running the length of their arms from shoulder to wrist. Han backed up to give them space as the Imperials spread out in a well-known search pattern.

The commander, denoted with an orange shoulder cover, stopped next to Han and Chewie since they were nearest the door. "You there, how long have you been in this building?"

"Just a couple of hours," Han replied. "What's up?"

"We're in search of someone," the man held up a holo, and Han could feel his hard stare on him even through the black eye sockets of the helmet the other wore. "He's believed to have come to this world."

Han dutifully studied the holo, taking in the image of a black and tan Zabrak male. But even so, Han shook his head, Chewie doing likewise. "Nope, I haven't seen him, or anyone like him."

Chewbacca harned a negative also.

The man sighed. "Very well. If you see him, you are to report it immediately. But do not, under any circumstances, make contact. He is highly dangerous to civilians."

"Yes sir," Han replied, and they were allowed to leave as the rest of the squad worked the other patrons.

"Let's get out of here, Chewie," Han muttered. "The sooner the better."

[I won't argue with you there,] the Wookiee replied.

The pair made their way to the docking bay and was just about to make their way inside when a hand grabbed Han's arm. "Are you leaving the planet?"

Han reflexively jerked away, but the other held fast, and Han glared at him. "Let go of me, Pal, or the Wookiee will do the job for you at the risk of your own limb."

Chewie growled threateningly and the other seemed to pale even under his hood. "Fine."

He dropped Han's arm, and then glanced about surreptitiously. "I need charter off-planet. Can you give me a ride?"

Han narrowed his eyes. "Not for free I can't."

The being sighed. "I can offer a thousand credits when we are safely away and another three when I arrive at my new stop."

Han glanced to Chewie, who nodded slowly. Han considered, and then eyed their visitor. "Why do you want to leave? Who are you?"

"My name is unimportant." The hooded being looked around again, and though something didn't sit quite right with Han, he'd rather risk chartering someone from Raltree than run another shipment for Jabba and go into debt even further for the Hutt.

"Fine, but if you cause me trouble, we will space you, got that?" Han warned.

"Understood."

"Well then what are we standing around for?" Han remarked mildly. "Let's go."

 **00000**

In the shadows, a dark-hued droid hovered silently, capturing the face of the hooded figure it had been surreptitiously following. After a swift scan in facial recognition, the droid confirmed the identity.

Dishon Annsh, the very Zabrak the Empire was searching for. And the smuggler... Han Solo, was knowingly taking him off-planet.

The droid sent a burst of a message across a secure channel to the man leading the search on Raltree and then returned to the shuttle it had been dispatched from.

 **00000**

Commander Cody listened to the droid's message and swore, racing with his contingent of men to catch the freighter. "Let's go!" As he and his men ran, Cody commed the troopers patrolling nearest the launch pad. "Do not let the craft go!"

A few tense seconds went by before the other trooper returned with grim news over the comlink. "Sir, it's already taking off!"

"Tag it! We need to know where it goes!" Cody snapped. "His Majesty wants his pupil back _alive_!"

"Yes sir!"

Cody arrived at the docking area just as a dilapidated freighter soared from the building to the skies above. With a dark look to the ship, Cody slowed to a jog and entered.

His contact appeared immediately. "Sir, we were able to get a tracker in place, but just barely."

"Excellent," Cody replied. "Alert the _Executor_ that we have a lead and will soon have Dishon's location."

"Yes sir."

Once the man had turned to fulfill his orders, Cody turned to the next trooper in line. "You, get me everything we have on Han Solo and his copilot. We need to have that information ready for His Majesty."

"At once, Sir." The trooper saluted and moved off also.

 **00000**

Han sat back with a sigh as the _Millennium Falcon_ finally made the jump to hyperspace. "Well, we're on our way."

[Time to collect our fee,] Chewie said, and Han nodded his agreement.

"Yeah. I just hope he isn't going to cause us more trouble than this job is worth," Han muttered.

[If he does, we will get through it,] Chewie harned.

Han sighed. "Thanks, Buddy."

The smuggler made his way aft while Chewie continued to do flight checks. He entered the main hold to find their passenger sitting by the dejarik table, arms folded and seemingly staring at nothing.

"So, why the big rush to leave Raltree?" Han asked mildly as he sat in the swivel-chair at a sensor station.

The being glanced up as if he'd been jolted from his thoughts. "Huh?"

Han rolled his eyes. "You show up out of the blue just as I happen to be leaving the planet, and with Imperial troopers looking for someone. So what's the big deal?"

The other shook his head. "Trust me when I say it's best you don't know anything about me."

Han thinned his lips, but decided the other was probably right. "Okay then. Well you'll be happy to know we arrive at Belkadan in six hours. Feel free to take a nap if you want, the guest cabin is down the hall on your right."

"Thank you."

"And you owe us money, pal," Han added pointedly.

Gloved hands moved and then a credit chip was flicked onto the tabletop. "One thousand credits as agreed. The other three will remain with me until I'm safely away."

With that he left, closing the cabin door behind him.

Just before reversion to realspace, and with the gut feeling that something wasn't right, Han knocked on the door and opened the portal to alert their guest to their arrival. As such, he ended up startling the other, and Han got his first look at the guy's head and face.

Han gaped for a long minute before anger and even some fear took hold. "You?!"

He backed away as the other swore and stood, coming forward. Han whipped out his blaster and aimed for the other's heart. "Stop right there!"

The Zabrak made an indistinguishable noise and suddenly Han's blaster was in the other's hand. "Listen to me: I am _not_ here to harm you or the Wookiee. I am trying to get _away_ from that life."

Han narrowed suspicious eyes at the man. "Yeah? And what kind of life is that? What, are you a hotshot criminal?"

The Zabrak looked down with an acerbic laugh. "I guess I am, in a matter of speaking."

Han frowned. "What is that supposed to mean? Either you are or you aren't pal. So which is it?"

The Zabrak's green eyes met his. "Fine, I am a criminal, is that what you want to hear? I killed for His Majesty time and time again, and I enforced his law like my fellow Inquisitors. Happy now?"

Han froze. "Inquisitor?"

Everyone in the galaxy knew of Emperor Vader's Special Forces personnel known as Inquisitors. These were the ones sent to deal with unruly Force-sensitives or to handle things that needed the touch of a Force-user, but was too small a job for the Emperor to oversee. After all, one man couldn't be everywhere. And Vader trusted only his elite Inquisitors with Force matters, because they had been trained by the Emperor himself, as well as his closest advisors.

Any other Force-sensitives in the galaxy were always counted separately in the yearly censuses and were allowed to live as long as they did not pursue any form of Jedi training. Jedi were explicitly illegal, and anyone caught with sympathies towards them or harboring their rare left-over artifacts were either put to death or punished severely. And those found to be training in secret were publicly executed to make a point.

"Didn't I tell you it's better not to know who I am?" the passenger retorted. "Now that you know your life is in jeopardy."

"And it wasn't when you came to me for a ride?" Han ground out.

The other actually hesitated. "That was unavoidable."

"Sure it was," Han snapped angrily, "because it was too kriffing hard to steal your own ship and not risk the necks of two innocents in your quest for freedom."

The Zabrak's shoulders slumped in defeat. "I am trying to get away from my master, something you can't understand." He handed Han the blaster once more. "Very well, just drop me off in an escape pod and let me off once we're close enough to the planet. Here is the rest of your money."

He tossed three more credit chips at Han and stalked toward the escape pods.

Han studied him from behind for a moment, and then looked to the money in his grasp, feeling bad now... to a degree. "Hey."

The Zabrak paused, turning.

"We agreed to take you all the way, and that's what we're gonna do," Han said, gesturing for the man to follow him to the ramp. "We will get you to the surface and open the ramp. You get off and we part ways. And... if you're serious, I wish you luck."

The Zabrak softened and offered a hand. "Thank you, Captain."

Han shook the limb and made his way to the cockpit. "We're coming in hot and dropping him off, Chewie. The man's a runaway Inquisitor if you can believe that."

Chewbacca's head whipped around so fast Han heard bones creak in the Wookiee's neck. [An _Inquisitor?_ Han, are you serious?]

Han hooked a thumb. "We have to give the man a chance, don't we? He says he wants to change, and he didn't hurt me when he had every chance to. We're finishing this job, like we always do. We have a sense of honor, don't we?"

Chewie studied Han for a long minute until the navicomputer beeped for reversion. [Yes,] the other finally sighed.

Han brought them into realspace and immediately rushed for the surface of the planet, grateful when nothing came up at them and no one tried to contact them for code clearances.

True to their word, Han and Chewie drew as close to the ground as safely possible and opened the ramp. Han saw the figure jump off and run into the nearby trees and Han gave him a goodbye wave before he closed the ramp and the Falcon pulled for deep space again.

When they once more got to the jump point with ease, Han and Chewie shared a worried look. "Does it bother you that we met no resistance when that guy is so badly wanted?"

[It does. Where is the Empire? Why aren't we being chased?] Chewie fretted. [This isn't like them at all.]

Han bit his lip and took them into a short jump to empty space, where he then turned to the Wookiee. "Bring up the security footage of our departure."

His co-pilot did just that and with growing dread the pair watched as they only then saw the four troopers enter the hangar just as the _Falcon_ took off. And right before the surface of the building covered the camera's view Han saw one man throw something at the ship.

Then the feed shut off since the cameras were only set to record during landing and takeoff.

Han sat back with a lead ball in his stomach. "Tracker..."

[That means they know where their man is... and where we are.] Chewie worried.

"Not for long," Han growled. "Set off an electronic burst over the hull to fry the tracker. I'm afraid the only thing we can do for the Zabrak is hope he's alright."

[Sending burst,] Chewie answered, and they watched a wave of bluish white wash over every inch of their hull, and only then did Han plot a few random jumps to shake anyone who tried to trail them.

But even still...

"I've got a bad feeling about this, Chewie," Han murmured as they set off.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two:**

"You're certain this information is accurate?" Dishon demanded of the man in the cantina. "She lives outside the city in a tent?"

"At the moment, she is there, yes," the man grumbled. "But she does not live there permanently. Why she is here is a mystery to me."

Dishon tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

The man's eyes narrowed. "Look, pal, you paid for information on the crazy woman's location, not her history. You wanna pay for that too?"

Dishon sighed irritably. He had all but run through his stash of credits, and he needed to save what he had left to get to wherever this woman sent him.

"Fine, I'll leave it be, but if you're lying to me, I will come back for you," Dishon warned.

"I'm terrified," the man said sarcastically, turning back to his drink.

Dishon thinned his lips and then left in a flourish of robes. Dishon walked along with his face concealed and lightsaber definitely hidden. He didn't need to give himself away. He was already on edge with his being on the run; he didn't need the added stress of others knowing what he was and assuming they knew him.

His stomach grumbled, reminding the man that he hadn't eaten since last night. But Dishon ignored it in favor of finding the mysterious woman everyone in town knew to avoid or respect. No one knew why she was on the planet, but no one seemed too keen on asking her either. The locals gave the woman her space and didn't interfere in her affairs, but none of them would say why except to warn him that she could be dangerous when need be.

With this in mind, he traversed a path through the city. When he arrived at a worn-out road— which led to a small forest—Dishon strode purposefully, determined to see this woman for himself.

 **00000**

Dishon kept his hood low as he walked up to the ancient-looking tent he had been directed to. As far as he could tell the tent was empty, but that didn't mean it was.

And Dishon could feel the presence of someone inside the collection of animal hides that made up the walls and roof of the structure. He hesitated at the door, and then carefully folded back one flap.

"Hello?"

Silence greeted him, as did a dark interior, but Dishon had come too far to back out now. The reason Dishon was even on Belkadan in the first place was because he'd heard from a well-paid bounty hunter back on Tatooine that there was a woman here who knew of the Jedi's side of the Force. Thus he had gone to the bounty hunter here on Belkadan to learn of her local whereabouts.

And while Dishon knew that Jedi knowledge was forbidden, especially for the Inquisitors, he had to try and find something on them. He no longer wanted to be an Inquisitor; he didn't want to kill people anymore. Dishon wanted to learn of the Jedi ways, to become a warrior of the Light, and no longer remain a servant of the Dark.

With a determined, if cautious air, Dishon entered the tent at last and stood silently. Now that he was inside, his eyes adjusted to the lack of lighting, and he discovered that there was in fact some illumination from lichen that had been grown on stones placed within the abode.

The furniture was sparse, yet small, as if they were meant to fit a child rather than an adult. There was a ring of stones set in the middle of the floor with a smoke outlet in the tent above, and then Dishon saw the flutter of a curtain and he froze, his hand instinctively going to his lightsaber.

"Why have you come here?" a voice asked in the darkness.

"I have heard that you know of the Jedi Knights of old," Dishon answered. "I want to learn more."

"Jedi information is illegal," the same voice remarked— a woman clearly, and he thought it was his contact.

"Only if you're caught with it," Dishon retorted mildly. "Please, I have come a long way... I need help."

Dishon could feel the other pause in consideration, and then a shadow moved closer to the ring for a fire, and he caught the glint of light on eyewear.

"Come closer."

Dishon pursed his lips, but ultimately obeyed, walking up to the woman and doing a slight double-take to find her so... small. She had orange skin, a rounded face, and goggles of some sort that appeared to be adjustable.

"Let me see your eyes," she instructed, gesturing with a small hand.

Dishon knelt and she gazed at him intently, making him feel as if she could see right through him. Yet, though she was obviously intelligent and had been rumored to know of the Force— and was sensitive to it, Dishon suddenly realized— she didn't seem trained in it. But maybe that was an illusion to protect her.

"You are a troubled soul; I see it in your eyes. And yet... though you seek to make a difference as a Jedi, I feel it isn't you who is meant to do this."

Dishon frowned. "What are you talking about?"

The woman offered a sad smile. "Things you don't need to know. You wish to learn of the Jedi, yet you are too afraid to follow through."

Dishon stood rapidly, an angry retort on his lips, but it died before he could speak when her brows rose knowingly. She was right: he was afraid. Yes he wanted to be a Jedi, but he wasn't sure if he could actually follow through on that. He was afraid to make himself a target by learning of the Jedi's ways.

Before Dishon could respond, the walls of the tent were ripped down, and the woman jumped in surprise. Dishon leapt to his feet, drawing his lightsaber as green-armored men rushed onto the scene, one of them wearing an orange pennant on his shoulder.

Dishon snarled and ignited his blade, instantly going on the offensive... and was stopped in midair when he leapt at Commander Cody.

"Excellent work, Commander," Emperor Vader stated as he walked slowly but authoritatively onto the scene. "Expect to receive a reward for your success."

Cody's head dipped even as Dishon trembled in fright while the Emperor continued to hold him with the Force. The man stepped forward, his fine-tailored clothing shifting perfectly with his form to not hinder him in any way.

"And we have at last caught up to you, Dishon," Vader stated, his ocher eyes cold and calculating.

Dishon gazed upon the man's pale face and swallowed hard. "Master, please, have mercy."

"On a Jedi-wannabe?" Vader snapped angrily. "I think not. You will return to Coruscant to be publicly executed. You will be made an example of what happens when one breaks my law concerning the Jedi."

He levitated stun-cuffs onto Dishon's wrists and secured them before he let the man drop to the floor with a thud. "Take him to the shuttle."

"Yes, Your Majesty," Cody snapped a salute and got to work issuing orders, and as Dishon was escorted roughly away, Vader approached the woman.

"Your name," he demanded as he studied the orange-skinned alien. It was odd how the woman before Vader reminded him of Master Yoda.

"Maz Kanata, your majesty." The woman bowed deeply, and Vader saw no fear in her gaze.

"He came to you for information on the Jedi," Vader growled. "Why would he do that?"

Maz remained calm, dipping her head in a show of subservience. "I am old, Your Highness, and I remember the Jedi. I know of them, yes, but I did not share any knowledge with him, as that is forbidden. I have not disobeyed the law, Majesty. It is not a crime to remember."

Vader studied the woman again and touched her mind enough to confirm that she hadn't told Dishon anything of value... except that someone would rise against Vader. He snarled venomously and grabbed the woman by the throat.

"You would dare try prophesying against me?!" he thundered at her, even as she choked openly him his iron grip.

"I only spoke that he was not strong enough to rise against his master," Maz managed to say. "I did not say for certain that anyone would oppose the Emperor."

Vader continued to choke her, and then he threw her to the floor, where he then removed her right hand, giving her the honor of using his lightsaber. As she screamed in agony, Vader turned to his troops.

"Burn everything she has. Leave noting untouched."

Cody didn't argue, instead calling for his men to assist him and within minutes the men returned with flame-throwers, which were used on all surfaces until a raging blaze filled the air around Maz and Vader.

"Let this be a lesson to you, ignorant _fool_ , that I am unopposed, and untouchable!" Vader ground out, turning away from the woman while she faded in and out of consciousness. "I am Emperor, and none has the ability to remove me from power."

With that he left, taking his men with him. Once onboard the shuttle, Vader accepted the datapad Cody gave him that contained all pertinent information on the smuggler Han Solo and Chewbacca the Wookiee.

"This man has defiled my law, and he willingly aided a wanted Imperial fugitive," Vader told the commander. "He will be dealt with."

Then Vader had a thought, and he smiled cruelly. "And I have just the person for the job."

He straightened. "Commander Cody, instruct your men to continue looking for Solo, but to not engage him. If they gather any Intel, I want it given to me immediately."

"As you wish, Your Majesty."


	4. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three:**

"'But Sir, I haven't had that kind of training!'" Princess Leia Vader ad-libbed with a grin while the woman on the screen awkwardly took the baby being handed to her from the man also on screen.

"'Well, consider this your training then,'" Prince Luke Vader retorted with dramatic flair as the man in question tried to pawn the child off on his subordinate.

"'But...'"

"'You are a highly trained operative, Carson, I'm sure you can handle a mere child,'" Luke went on as Leia's character spluttered.

"'Right,'" Leia finally said dryly. "'Which is why my superior wants to be free of him, is that it, Sir?'"

"'Watch your tongue, Lieutenant...'" Luke growled theatrically.

The two laughed like a pair of toddlers as their muted show continued to play without sound. They were seated in the middle of an empty theater auditorium, having the place to themselves as they spent a night together. It was nice, Luke thought as the characters on the screen 'acted out' their improvised roles, to have this uninterrupted time with his twin sister.

They seldom got such time together anymore, and he missed the days they had been inseparable. Not that they fought— quite the contrary; each was the other's best friend— but their parents kept the pair of them so laden with lessons, training and missions that for them to have much quantity of time together was a rarity indeed.

So they instead made their short spurts of time with each other count, always setting aside other things for their sibling whenever they came together.

A nudge from Leia returned Luke's attention fore as she pointed to the screen and spoke to him. "I'd bet you a hundred credits that we couldn't ever get Sergeant Quane to so much as touch a baby."

Luke laughed. "Let alone be caught caring for one."

Leia snickered. "Wouldn't that be a sight to see? I would pay good money to have a holo of that man holding a child."

"Could you imagine the expression on his face at such an occurrence?" Luke rejoined around raucous laughter.

The pair soon forgot all about their show as they lost themselves in small talk while they were alone. Or as alone as they'd ever be in public. They both knew they were being observed from the shadows by their security detail, but they had learned to both live with it and ignore their guards whenever they were enjoying themselves.

The twins were allowed to be in public only with an armed escort, some of which were obviously visible, while others were undercover agents— something the twins had begged for so they could have _some_ freedom outside the palace walls. Luke personally didn't see the need for so many bodyguards when he and Leia were well-trained in the Force and all forms of combat and self-defense by their father and many other tutors.

They were not helpless. And yet...

"You know we have to keep up the image that we don't have the training we do," Leia murmured as she picked up on her twin's thoughts. "The galaxy doesn't know we are Father's Shadows."

Luke sighed, not minding that she had read into his thoughts. It was sometimes a byproduct of their twin bond, though it was one neither of them exploited as a courtesy to the other. They only paid attention when they thought the other needed something from it.

"I know, but I hate that we have to go to such lengths just to go anywhere," Luke replied evenly. "Doesn't he trust us enough to handle ourselves?"

Leia didn't answer, and she didn't need to. To the rest of the galaxy Luke and Leia were the happy and loved children of Emperor and Empress Vader. But the reality of things was that the pair had merely become useful tools the older and more experienced they'd become. Their parents' love for their children had grown cold long ago, and it was no longer affection given to Luke and Leia when they did a job well: instead it was _pride_. Satisfaction that their father's servants were performing their duties as was expected.

And yet, the twins were afraid to go against their parents... at least outright. They loved their parents, despite their cold natures, but they feared them more than anything else. They were afraid of failing the older Vader's because the punishment for such... _weaknesses_ were always harsh to 'make a point' as their father often stated.

Luke realized the dour turn their evening had taken thanks to him and, determined to make it up to his sister, Luke banished all negative thoughts. "I'm sorry."

Leia took his hand in a silent gesture of acceptance and Luke kissed her cheek in a brotherly manner. "Now, where were we?"

The people on the screen were now chasing the baby in the film as the youngster rushed about the messy apartment and sought to raid a nearby bag of treats in the kitchen.

Luke grinned before speaking in Sergeant Quane's voice. "Now you listen here, child! You will stop this instant and fall in line!"

Leia was red in the face as she tried hard not to laugh, and as Luke went on, her attempt failed.

"I said straighten up! Do NOT get into those cookies, you hear me?" Then, as the child's attempts to have dessert were thwarted, Luke continued. "Stop crying! Man up, boy, or it'll be the basement for you!"

By that point Leia was all but rolling on the floor, and even Luke couldn't go on, so infectious was her laughter. Soon the pair was folded haphazardly over each other as their lively chuckling bounced around the vast room.

 **00000**

From where he sat in his office, Sergeant Hubert Quane passed the time by reading reports and preparing the twin's weekly schedule as he did at the end of each successive week. The Emperor excepted his children to conform to a schedule so he knew where they were. It was also a way for him to monitor their progress in their studies and contact them at any time if needed.

And while Quane could appreciate the military-style way things were run, he occasionally felt sorry for his young charges. Well, maybe not so young anymore, as they were both nineteen.

Or they would be tomorrow.

Quane pondered on the extravagant ball that had been planned by Empress Padmé Vader in behalf of her children's lifeday celebration. Although to be honest, Lady Vader loved throwing parties and enjoyed being the center of attention at such things, so the ball itself was hardly a surprise. But once a year at least, she made room for her children to be center stage... mostly.

But for the last three years, Lady Vader had been trying to get the twins to pair off with someone of the opposite sex, something the two young adults wanted nothing to do with. But their mother seemed determined to have them married before too much longer, or at least dating.

Why that was, Quane could only guess.

His thoughts were interrupted by the beeping of his comlink and Quane answered it promptly. "Sergeant Quane here."

"The Emperor wishes to see you, Sergeant," the voice of the Emperor's majordomo informed him.

"I will be there," Quane replied, already standing and clearing his desk. He hated clutter of any sort, and when he worked, his station was neat and organized.

"Very good," the other said before disconnecting.

As promised, Quane made his way from the office he used in the Imperial Palace to the Throne Room where the Emperor and Empress saw anyone they wished to meet with. Quane made sure his uniform— a deep red garment with gray touches and a gray hat— was perfect and his posture straight before he nodded to the pair of guards who barred access.

The two before him were part of the Emperor and Empress's personal guards, known as the Onyx Guard. Their armor was more specialized than what the average trooper wore, and it was both shiny to a fault and incredibly flexible while strong enough to protect from most attacks.

The two moved aside for him and as Quane stepped through, they resumed their stations once more in silence.

His tread was sure and even, not a hint of hesitation in his gait as he traversed the luxurious room to genuflect before the raised dais where two thrones rested, both of which were occupied, to his surprise.

Quane caught a glimpse of his Empress and took in her expertly tailored gown of a sea green and skin-tone that was both exotic and gave the illusion of revealing more skin than it did.

"Your Majesties, you asked for me?" Quane spoke while bowing his head reverently, choosing not to dwell on the woman's wardrobe.

"Yes, thank you for coming," Emperor Vader replied.

"You are looking well, Sergeant," Empress Padmé remarked, and Quane dipped a little lower for her.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

"We wish to confirm that security for the ball tomorrow will be adequate?" Vader's tone was mild.

Quane straightened confidently, knowing that the Emperor meant the personal escorts of his two children. Quane was only responsible for the safety of Luke and Leia, while the rest of palace security fell to another man. One Quane didn't like, personally, but worked with out of necessity.

Also, Quane didn't want to remove himself as one of the only barriers between the twins and Major Yen Menzer. Menzer was a man who had his eye on the prize, and he backed the Emperor completely, was totally loyal... and it was obvious the man relished his high position in the Empire and would do anything short of challenging the Royals for their crowns to further his own ambitions. Yen wanted to have power, wanted to be important... and he wasn't shy about it, though he knew how to play his cards. He thought the Prince and Princess should be under stricter control, and made to conform.

If Menzer had his way, the twins would become mindless, totally obedient servants to their Emperor, regardless of their role as Vader's children.

But even with all that, Quane couldn't deny that Menzer was very good at his job. Security in the Palace and surrounding the Emperor and Empress were airtight, and it was a rare occurrence that anything slipped through unnoticed.

"The Prince and Princess will be well looked after, Your Majesties. They will be safe, and their protection is my top priority." Quane assured the pair. "I have my best men scheduled for the evening, and we are working in concert with Major Menzer to be certain things are run smoothly and airtight."

"I expect nothing less, Sergeant." Vader growled.

"And I do not want to have either of my children wandering off before the ball ends," Padmé added, meeting Quane's gaze openly. "They will stay for the entire evening, and if they leave the event you will be held responsible."

"Yes, Your Highness," Quane bowed again.

It had happened in many other balls: Luke or Leia— sometimes both— would find a way to escape the evening and go elsewhere. Quane had caught flak for it each time, but had said little to the twins. The pair of them were actually really good kids, despite the heavy load placed upon their shoulders. It was uncommon that they caused trouble, especially for Quane, and they seldom did such things on purpose with the intent of getting him into trouble.

Quane would speak with them, and they would behave; he knew they would.

"If that is all you have to report, then you are dismissed," Vader told Quane, and with that he turned to his wife.

Taking the hint, Quane bowed low a final time and retreated.

 **00000**

Padmé watched the man leave with a raised brow, and once he was out of earshot Vader— Anakin to her —spoke.

"We caught Dishon." He stroked his chin as Padmé's head came back around. "He will be publicly executed the day after our children's lifeday celebration."

"Good," Padmé remarked sharply. "The Jedi must not return. Their disease needs to remain wiped out from the galaxy. And we must show the Empire that dissenters will not be tolerated."

Vader's lips lifted in a predatory smile. "I love it when you talk like that. You always did have my back."

Padmé ran a finger up his arm, relishing how he shuddered at her touch. "I have, and I always will."

Vader hummed and ran his hand down her frame sensually. "You are teasing me in that gown, you know that, right?"

Padmé's eyes sparkled with pleasure. "Why do you think I wore it today?"

Vader made a noise deep in his chest and easily moved her onto his lap, where he began to shower his wife with kisses all along her exposed skin.

"I was thinking of having Luke do the job," Vader murmured between ministrations. "He needs the extra push... the experience."

Padmé considered even as she quivered at her husband's touch. "Yes... Luke needs to be brought more into the Darkness. He does his tasks, yes, but he has too many Light tendencies. He's too soft."

Anakin nodded, sliding a hand along her leg. "Then it's settled. Luke will execute Dishon, or he will be punished."

"And Leia will watch: she won't be left out." Padmé hummed softly. "Although, Leia has been less hardheaded about things than her brother. _And_ she's taken to politics like I have. She will excel in that field."

Anakin felt a surge of pride for his daughter. "Very good. Now, let's move things along, shall we?"

"Please." Padmé allowed him to hoist her up and carry her along the secret passageways to their bedchambers.

 **00000**

When their show was over, Luke and Leia spent a long time still conversing, neither one wanting to concede to the fact that they had to go back to their rooms now. Finally, as they'd known would happen, their escort reappeared.

"Princess Leia, Prince Luke, it's time to go now," the head agent said.

Leia and Luke sighed and stood without complaint to the man. He was only doing his job, after all. "Alright."

The duo walked side by side up the aisle and then out of the theater. Then, in a bout of inspiration, Luke looked over his shoulder at the lead agent. "We will walk back."

Leia, catching on, nodded when the man began to protest. "It's settled: we walk. I'm sure we will be safe with you all here."

The man grumbled something under his breath and the twins shared a mental high-five. Leia shivered some in the night air, and Luke gave her his coat without a second thought.

"Thank you," Leia murmured with a soft smile for her twin.

"Of course." Luke looked about them, hands held before him while his fingers played idly.

Leia eyed him after several minutes, concerned. "Hey, what's wrong?"

Luke caught a glint of light on the armor of their escort and noted their position, then glanced to his sister. "Just thinking of tomorrow."

Leia blanched slightly. "Yeah... I've been trying _not_ to. Who do you think Mother will introduce us to this year?"

Luke's mood soured some. "No one, I hope. But we aren't that lucky."

"Not in that area," Leia agreed glumly. "I'm so tired of warding off the stuck-up suitors Mother thinks I want around."

"At least none of them have tried to force themselves on you," Luke returned with a shiver of disgust. "It's all I can do not to throw the girls across the room when they've done that. The last two did it, and I wanted to vomit."

"You should have... on their dresses," Leia quipped, and she was gratified to see her brother perk up. "It would have gotten them to leave in a jiffy."

Luke considered, and then kissed her head. "Thank you for the thought. If my date tomorrow suddenly runs away screaming... you know why."

Leia laughed with him, threading her arm through Luke's. He willingly escorted her, feeling protective of his sister as always.

"I'm just glad we're in this together. I wouldn't want to be alone in this event," Luke remarked.

Leia grimaced. "Me too. At least it's just once a year."

"Yes." Luke sighed. "I would much rather have a simple evening than the extravaganza Mother always puts on."

"She does love her parties," Leia muttered.

Luke didn't comment, feeling it wasn't really his place to do so. What their mother did was her business, though he didn't have to always like it.

His attention was diverted by a scuffle in a nearby alley and Luke broke off from Leia to investigate. He saw a pair of human men beating upon a younger, male Omwati. The usually pale blue skin of the latter was blackened and purple with bruises and the poor man was bleeding in several places.

"Stop!" Luke barked, and the two men whirled in surprise even as the security detail following Luke and Leia closed in hurriedly now that they realized Luke was confronting someone. "What is going on?"

The men traded looks, and the taller one sneered, rising to his full height. "Well, if it isn't the Prince himself. Come out to play, have we?"

Luke ignored the jab and stepped forward. "Leave that man alone. What has he done to deserve your treatment of him?"

The man snorted. "He was born an alien, that's what."

Luke's eyes flashed and he used the Force to shove the two men away from the Omwati, who was watching the proceedings with wide, dark eyes. "Get out of here before I have you arrested for discrimination."

The men grumbled but left while Luke approached the injured man. "It's alright, I won't harm you."

"Your Majesty." The being stuttered. "It's not right for you to care."

"I'm not Emperor, so it's just Prince, or My Lord," Luke corrected patiently. "And I can care all I want."

The other didn't argue, and Luke, sensing his continued fear, sighed. Glancing over his shoulder, Luke motioned to the nearest guard. "See to it he gets the needed care, and then make sure he gets home safely."

"Yes, My Lord," the man replied, helping the Omwati up and walking him away.

Once they were on the move again, Leia looked him side-on. "You know Father will have a fit if he finds out about this."

Luke paled slightly, but didn't answer right away.

"Yeah... I know," he finally whispered. "But I can't help it. I want to _help_ people, not hurt them."

Leia took his hand, worried. "Luke... I won't say anything, but you've got to be careful. You helped that man, yes, but at what cost?"

"I can take some pain," Luke muttered, but he knew where she was coming from on this. Leia was concerned he would be punished for being too soft. He probably would.

"Let's just get home," Luke whispered as the silence grew to be uncomfortable.

Leia didn't speak, only took his arm again, an offer of comfort her twin readily accepted.

Once they were before Leia's door, Luke gave her a tight hug. "I love you, Leia."

She hugged him in return. "And I love you, Brother."

They parted ways and Luke entered his own room down the hall. But instead of going to bed, Luke dressed into his nightclothes and sat on his open-air balcony, gazing longingly at the stars above.


	5. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four:**

Darth Vader, Sith Master and Emperor stood outside his son's door; one hand poised as if to knock before he changed his mind and, in a display of who was in charge, the man simply opened the door with the Force and strode inside.

A first glance revealed his son to not be in the front room, but Vader could sense him in the apartment. Cold eyes roamed idly about the space, taking in the display case on one wall with model ships Luke had put together mostly by himself, ranging from the child-appropriate ones from when he'd been a small boy to the most advanced ones for adults.

There were all kinds of models, and Vader was pleased to see that at least the mechanic and piloting side of the father had rubbed off on the son. Luke's rooms were otherwise sparsely adorned, though each room had a potted plant or a small fountain of some sort.

Vader had already been in to see Leia, and his daughter had looked resplendent in her gown, his daughter's natural beauty only enhanced by the dress. Now it was time to see Luke, to wish him good tidings on this day as he'd done with the boy's sister.

Vader paused in the hallway when a holo in a simple frame stood out to him: one of Vader and Luke sitting side-by-side and working on the part of some ship, both of them covered in grime and dirt. But the happiness in the pair radiated even off the picture to remind Vader of when Luke and his father had been content with their relationship.

Then the boy had grown and matured... and begun to then question his life, his training and his work as one of Vader's Shadows. It'd also been when Luke had begun to disappoint the Emperor with each subsequent quest to upset the norm with moral questions.

But in truth, the decline in the father-son relationship had begun before Luke had reached the age of ten... and with what had seemed a perfectly innocent question. To Luke. But Vader had shown the boy just how wrong of a decision it had been to ask it.

Had he gone wrong somewhere alone the way? Vader had made certain to teach Luke and Leia both to hate the Jedi with every fiber of their beings... but Luke seemed to constantly refuse. Well, Vader supposed that as long as Luke didn't actively seek that lifestyle, it wouldn't be the end of things...

But no. Luke would be made to see the error of his ways... one way or another. It was for his own good.

"Father?" a surprised voice drew the elder Vader from his musings to see Luke half dressed in his attire for the evening's event.

"Luke," Vader inclined his head as he spoke softly.

Luke gazed at him for a moment, as if unsure what to say or do, so the Emperor decided to save him the trouble. "I merely wanted to see you before the ball, and to wish you a happy lifeday."

Luke's face didn't change save for a flicker of something in his gaze, but then the youth dipped his head. "Thank you, Father."

Vader stared at his son for a time, but decided not to ruin the special day with talk of Vader's true feelings for his son. He loved Luke, but he was tired of being embarrassed by his son's lack of gall, and of Luke's inability to set aside what Vader deemed Jedi-morals.

And all this despite Vader's best attempts to bring Luke up in the ways of Darkness.

The Emperor nodded once and began to retreat. "I will leave you to your preparations then. Good evening Luke."

"Thank you... Father." There was an undeniably sad longing to Luke's murmured words that Vader chose to ignore.

If Luke would step up more and simply do as he was told without all the fuss and trouble, things would not be tense between father and son right now. Vader closed the front door behind him and made his way to the ballroom, eager to see what ensemble his beautiful Angel had donned this time.

 **00000**

Padmé stood proudly amidst her circle of friends, the center of attention amidst the gaggle of women. She eyed them all in a slight light of distrust, but overall the women around her were smart enough not to get themselves into trouble.

Padmé was resplendent in a gown that had a base color to match her exact skin tone, but was overlaid with black lace in a swirl pattern along the left side of her body. The right side started as a strapless breast-cover and went straight down in randomly-sized stripes with only some of the nude fabric showing between. The swirled pattern continued as true lace up her collarbone to wrap elegantly about her neck and shower lightly over the left shoulder. And to add to the exoticness of her gown, there was a slit on the right side that ran up to mid-thigh.

Her hair was done up beautifully and her entire look spoke of the Empress she was... and of how beautiful she was. Padmé knew she was a woman to behold, and she loved to tease others about it and flaunt it. Why not?

Her husband knew she was true to him and only him.

Speaking of her husband...

Padmé gazed openly at him from across the ballroom, which flowed with guests all decked out in their formal best. Her husband wore a suit she herself had helped him choose; a satiny thing made of a royal blue with silver accents to really spruce him up. He looked like a metallic statue in his elegant clothing, and she loved the small cape that only added to the entire look of a king. Vader even held a small cane that was purely for looks in his gloved hands, and his hair was combed and neat.

Padmé caught his eye from across the room and gave him a sultry look which he returned openly.

The music played and the people danced, though Padmé still had yet to see her children arrive, and the gala had begun half an hour ago. She didn't worry too much, however. Her children knew to obey, and they rarely, if ever, went against the wishes of their parents.

Padmé took note of the unusual number of people more Luke and Leia's age, though there were two individuals in particular Padmé had already singled out to have escort her son and daughter for the evening.

Padmé walked toward the young man first, and all the people in the hall parted to make a walkway for her. The youth in question saw her coming and stopped dancing with the current girl to bow low.

"Your Majesty."

Padmé smiled at him. "Lord Erol. I'm glad you could make it this evening."

The other smiled politely. "I wouldn't miss it. And I look forward to escorting your daughter this evening."

"You should be," Padmé returned, tapping his shoulder. "Leia is quite the beautiful lady."

"So I have heard, Majesty," Erol replied with a glint of desire in his gaze that Padmé didn't miss.

"Very well. When Leia arrives, you will meet her upon her descent of the stairs," Padmé instructed.

"As you wish."

Padmé left him then and traversed the room to the young woman she'd selected for Luke. "Lady Sevrina."

"Your Highness." The young woman curtseyed deeply, lifting her gown's hem perfectly. Padmé eyed the blonde in her strapless black gown that flowed into vibrant green chiffon after the waist.

"You look lovely, Lady Sevrina," Padmé commented, and the girl dipped her head some more. "Do take good care of my son this evening. When he comes down the steps, you will meet him."

"Yes, Your Majesty." Sevrina acknowledged, and once more Padmé caught the eagerness in the girl, and Padmé smiled to herself. Perhaps tonight she would see her children paired with worthy partners who would in turn give her beautiful grandchildren... in the future of course.

 **00000**

Luke tugged slightly at his neck, and the satin fabric shifted only enough so it wouldn't be as tight and constricting. While he walked to the doors that would admit he and Leia into the ballroom, he couldn't help but feel slightly overdressed despite the occasion.

Yes, he was a prince, but did he have to wear such... _garish_ clothing to show that fact off?

Luke's entire ensemble was Kuati satin; a shimmery fabric that shined like a well-groomed riding animal would glisten in the spotlight. It was all a rich black, and his frock coat was embroidered with silver floral along the lapel and down the front of the coat's edges to the waist. There was even a pair of silver-bejeweled brooches adorning the exact top of his waist. The only color on his ebony shirt was the silver collar. A circular, jeweled pendant held together a fancy onyx handkerchief that doubled as a ruffled tie. A silver, embroidered cummerbund set his shirt and coat apart, and the ends of the jacket sleeves were a slightly lace material that was also silver. There was a smaller, black handkerchief in his coat pocket, and Luke's pants and shoes were exactly tailored to fit him and this ensemble. There were even some embroidered designs in silver on the insteps of his shoes.

Luke sighed, wanting for nothing more than to wear something less... attention grabbing. He didn't like dressing up, but he did it for his mother. And for Leia.

He reached the doors and waited patiently for his twin. Idly, Luke wondered what sort of gown Padmé had forced his sister into this time. Hopefully it wasn't as... revealing as last year's dress had been. Luke had felt horrible on Leia's behalf when she'd shown up in a dress that clearly made her feel uncomfortable. And the many stares from potential suitors had only fueled Luke's protective urges. He'd infuriated their mother that evening when Luke finally went to his sister and wrapped his jacket about her shoulders and escorted her out.

He had paid dearly for that blatant disobedience, but in a rare and surprising display that he did actually still love his children, Vader had asked Padmé to tone it down some in regard to Leia's overall decency.

Speaking of Vader... his earlier appearance in Luke's room had unsettled the youth, and he wasn't entirely sure what to make of it. Had Vader been testing Luke as usual, or had it really been just to wish Luke a happy lifeday as Vader had claimed?

"Luke?"

His sister's voice drew Luke from his musings, and he looked right to see Leia approaching. He felt his eyebrows lift in surprise, and Luke smiled openly.

"Wow..." Luke came forward and embraced his sister. "Leia, you look amazing!"

"Much better than last year," Leia agreed. "But thanks."

Her black gown was one-sleeved, semi-sheer in the waist and flowed into a bulky amount of dress at the hem. Red lace floral encircled Leia's neck, flowed down her right shoulder and ended in a capped sleeve on the left. That same lace covered the right side of her bodice and angled down her waist artistically until it flowed in nice sections for a few inches past her hips. In the back was a sheer fabric lined in red accents. And at the end of her one sleeve was a laced, decorative sleeve embellishment.

Luke kissed her cheek gently and then offered his arm as they had been taught to do. Leia smiled softly and took the arm, and once they were before the doors, Leia glanced to her brother.

"You ready for this?"

"As I'll ever be..." Luke muttered back. "Let's get this over with."

They nodded to the guards flanking the door and it was opened for them, a fanfare announcing their entrance as their father's majordomo called their names to the audience below. "Presenting Prince Luke Vader and Princess Leia Vader!"

Luke escorted Leia slowly down the stairs, taking his time and withholding a groan as he spotted a young woman approach the stairs in obvious expectant anticipation. He saw a similar thing from Leia's apparent escort, and once the twins reached the base of the staircase, Luke threw the other boy a warning look before he let Leia go.

"Prince Luke, it's an honor to be your date this evening," the young lady by Luke said as she curtseyed. "My name is Lady Sevrina Lefex."

Luke thinned his lips but bowed politely, deciding to give this young woman a chance before he judged her. "Thank you. Shall we dance?"

Her eyes lit up excitedly and she stood, taking his arm eagerly. Luke led her onward and overheard Leia's date making a similar speech. Luke and his escort reached the center of the dance floor— a space had opened up so the guests of honor could dance upon their arrival— and took her hand and waist in the proper dancer's hold. He waited for Leia and her date to also ready for the required dance before he nodded to the maestro.

Music filled the air, and Luke took his partner into a waltz to match. Luke had to hand it to Sevrina: she could dance rather well, and she _was_ a pretty girl. But he was waiting for the other shoe to drop as it always did.

"You are a fine dancer, My Prince," Sevrina commented as they twirled about the floor in concert with the musicians.

"Thank you," Luke replied softly. He caught sight of Leia and her partner moving in the same direction as them, but on the opposite side of the floor, and then they were gone again as Luke and Sevrina turned.

"The music is beautiful also," Sevrina went on, bringing Luke's attention back to her. "You must get to experience the finest things like that every day. What a wonderful way to live!"

Luke lifted a brow. "It's not too bad," he said noncommittally, noticing how her countenance shifted slightly.

"Do you not enjoy being Prince?" Sevrina almost sounded offended.

"I never said that," Luke countered easily. "Please do not put words in my mouth."

Sevrina's lips thinned just-so, and she pulled away only slightly once the music finally ended, indicating an end to the dance. She took his arm and they wandered slowly through the now-crowded space as bystanders resumed their conversation circles.

"So what do you like to do in your free time?" Sevrina asked.

"I enjoy some sports, racing, and piloting." Luke eyed the crowd out of sheer habit, though his attention was on their conversation. "Though I also like a good novel."

Sevrina frowned at him. "You _play_ sports and race, or just watch them?"

"I have been known to play shockball," Luke smiled slightly. "It's rather fun."

Sevrina's distaste was evident in the way her nose wrinkled. "Why would anyone want to be knocked around and hurt like that just to get a ball into a net?"

"I could ask similar questions about why anyone would do things they like that I don't, and the answer would essentially be the same," Luke replied calmly. "People enjoy different things for their own reasons. It's what makes the galaxy so diverse, so beautiful."

"Not all of it," Sevrina countered haughtily as they came across an alien member of the serving staff. As the man offered the two a drink, Sevrina barely paid him any mind.

Luke felt a flash of annoyance and took his own glass, smiling kindly at the green-skinned Twi'lek.

"Thank you, Kortive," he said, nodding politely to the other. "I hope you are enjoying your evening."

"Thank you My Prince," Kortive replied with a small grin and a bow while Sevrina rolled her eyes with a sniff.

"You shouldn't have wasted your time with him," Sevrina remarked unabashedly, and Luke stopped listening to her at that point.

 **00000**

Across the floor, Leia was doing her best to hide her disgust at the obvious snob that had been chosen as her date.

"...and I am second in line to run our father's company. You must appreciate a high position, having one yourself. Imagine the places we could go, the things we could accomplish if we got together," Lord Erol Svungwas saying. The fool hadn't stopped talking since she'd taken his arm, and it was clear to Leia that he could care less about her personally.

"...my parents sent me to the finest schools, and I was top in my class in athletics _and_ business upon graduation." Erol snatched an hors-d'oeuvre from a passing serving tray."And you should be happy to hear that I will be attending Coruscant University and am to major in business and ship designs..."

Did this young man talk about anything but himself?

Deciding to throw a wrench into his ramblings, Leia spoke up. "Have you heard of the charity event to take place next month?"

The young man stuttered to a halt amidst his self-centered speech, and gave her a befuddled look. Behind the polite mask he quickly donned Leia could see his irritation at the interruption, and Leia secretly gave herself a point.

"The Senators from Alderaan have decided to help in the rehabilitation and rescue of some recovered slaves from the recent massacre on Zygerria." Leia went on. "Two of the settlements there got into a fight over whether or not to allow slavery, and those slaves left alive have been allowed to go free by the rest of the population because they see them as bad luck charms now."

Erol's lips worked for a second. "Yes, that is... most fascinating," he said unconvincingly. "But who would want to bring up such a thing now?"

"I would," Leia replied sharply, and she silently dared him to object.

"Of course, Princess," Erol murmured, dipping his head, but Leia still caught his annoyance.

Leia scanned the crowd discreetly, and felt warmth spread through her when she caught sight of a familiar face near the back.

Much to Erol's further frustration, she promptly stepped away from her partner, curtseyed and made her way through the crowd. It was amusing to hear Erol scramble to follow, but Leia managed to keep a smirk off her face.

 **00000**

Luke deftly cut in on Sevrina's ramblings when they neared the table that held this evening's refreshments. "Are you hungry at all?"

It took the girl a moment to figure out what he meant, and then quickly regrouped.

"Yes, I could go for something to eat." Sevrina remained on his elbow and Luke led her through the gathered people. One thing he appreciated about his status in the Empire was that he rarely had to jostle for position among a crowd. If they recognized him, the people usually moved for him.

Once they reached the table, Luke offered Sevrina a plate and then gestured for her to go first. She took a few things, and Luke helped himself to a satisfying amount, uncaring what his escort thought. Then the pair of them retreated to an empty floor space near a balcony doorway.

"So, where are you from, Lady Sevrina?" Luke asked to make conversation, hoping to steer away from the previous talk of humans being superior to all other races. Luke supposed that so far the girl hadn't been all _that_ bad, but nor was he about to let his guard down.

"I am from Fondor. My father is a wealthy business owner there." Sevrina took a bite of one of her snacks, and then went on. "I am going to school for interior design, and I am hoping to open my own business. But that means I'd have to get my father's approval... and that won't happen without a miracle."

Luke caught her subtle glance his way, and the manner in which her emotions had flickered just so upon that declaration and Luke sighed inwardly. There it was: the clincher. She wanted him to be her ticket to her own happiness. Well, that wasn't going to happen.

"I'm sure he will see reason one day," Luke remarked as if he hadn't noticed her double meaning. "Just don't give up on your dream."

Sevrina's disappointment leaked through her mask a hair, and Luke used his training to maintain a calm face. "Yes... I'm sure he will, but it would be nice to have him not be so... well, controlling."

Luke didn't quite know if she was trying to underhand him a second time, but his heart did pang some at her wording. He knew all about controlling parents.

"He does love you, I'm sure, and he means well," Luke said quietly. "Maybe he just doesn't want to let his little girl go."

Sevrina looked down. "Perhaps."

Her gaze came up some to eye him askance. "You understand the pressure of living in wealth, though, being a prince and all. How do you cope with it?"

Luke shrugged noncommittally. "It's nice to not have to worry about some things, like traffic, getting through a crowd, stuff like that. And I can't complain about an ace education." He took a bite of another treat. "But overall I can't really complain much, because there are others who have nothing to their name. So really I'm doing fine."

"That's... good to hear," Sevrina returned, and she motioned to another servant to take her now-empty plate. "Why don't we retire to the balcony?"

Luke's stomach dropped some. He wanted to avoid the possibility of her trying to throw herself upon him. "I'd rather not, thank you. I'm content here."

Sevrina didn't give up, though. "I would really like some fresh air, please, My Lord."

Luke ground his teeth, but withheld a sigh. "Very well, let's go."

He steadfastly kept his plate as he led her outside, and once they were alone, Luke allowed her to sit but remained standing, taking his time in finishing his snacks.

 **00000**

Leia caught the man's eye from a few meters away and smiled broadly at him. The other grinned openly and excused himself from his group to meet her partway.

"Princess Leia, it's so good to see you this evening," Bail Organa said happily, extending a palm to take her hand in his and bring it to his lips.

"Senator Organa!" she greeted him warmly, accepting his kiss to her knuckles. "How are you enjoying the ball?"

"It's lovely, as always," Bail replied, nodding politely to Erol, who managed to remain polite himself.

Leia gestured between them while stepping to Bail's side. "Lord Erol, do you know Senator Organa of Alderaan?"

Erol extended a hand. "Of course, who doesn't?"

Bail blushed somewhat and shook the young man's hand firmly. "Lord Erol, how is your father doing? Last I heard he was struggling to bring the two sides of his corporation together more. I do hope all is going well."

Erol straightened noticeably. "There are actually no problems, Senator. Those facts are outdated, I'm afraid. Things are very well in hand."

Bail inclined his head, professional and experienced enough to keep his head. "Of course, that is good news. Please bid him hello from an old acquaintance for me."

Erol tried to take Leia's hand and lead her off. "I will of course do that."

"Senator, I was actually hoping to talk with you further," Leia said as she pointedly removed her hand from Erol's grasp.

"Of course," Bail gestured and Leia began walking off with him, feeling Erol's mood darken.

Bail glanced over his shoulder only briefly. "Things aren't going so well I take it?" he asked softly as they drew apart from the others.

Leia sighed. "Not at all. I don't think that fool has any interest in anything that doesn't revolve around him. I wouldn't be surprised if his room was full of mirrors."

Bail laughed gently, but refrained from agreeing verbally. "What did you want to talk about?"

"Actually, anything that keeps me away from Erol," Leia whispered, her eyes pleading.

Bail dipped his head minutely and took her arm to walk her slowly, leisurely around the perimeter of the congregation. "I've missed seeing you, My Dear."

"And I you," Leia replied evenly, relaxing in his company and reveling in how he made her feel comfortable and at home. She didn't understand why that was, but Leia loved how Bail treated her as an equal, and she more and more saw him as a fatherly figure over Vader.

Leia looked around discreetly, and then spoke in a softer voice. "Have you heard the rumors of the Rebellion gaining strength?"

"I have," Bail answered, not looking her way, but knowing her meaning nonetheless. Talking openly of his role in the Rebel Alliance would be most unwise in this setting. "I hear they are trying to get more ships, but that's going to prove difficult with the Emperor's forces patrolling all shipyards."

Leia made a show of shaking her head. "One would think they'd just take to the scrap yards and junkyards. But in any case, that rag-tag bunch doesn't stand a chance against my father's superior forces."

Bail pursed his lips. "And if they even did get ships, how would they fuel them? They really don't seem to think things through, do they?"

"No..." Leia murmured, torn as always on whether or not to _actually_ help Bail. She was interested in the Rebel Alliance, and their efforts to restore true freedom and peace to the galaxy, but Leia didn't dare side with anyone other than her parents for fear of what they'd do to her upon finding out. "Makes me wonder why they even try. What's the point of their work? All they do is destabilize peaceful systems. Not to mention they are bringing more and more innocents under the crosshairs when battled ensue."

"I'm sure they believe their efforts are worthwhile. After all, some can't stand not trying to make the galaxy into their own version of free." Bail nodded to another senator who greeted him.

 **00000**

At the front of the room, Vader's eyes followed his daughter and the senator, noting how the young woman conversed easily with Bail.

Perhaps too easily.

Vader pondered breaking the pair up for his own amusement, not liking how... close the two seemed to always be despite their efforts to be discreet. Vader wasn't a fool: he knew Leia liked Bail as a mentor and maybe more.

But what to do about it?

Movement caught his eye and the Emperor realized he needn't have worried, because at that moment his wife making her way to the pair.

With a smirk, Vader sat back and waited to see how things played out.

 **00000**

Sevrina eyed her date with mixed emotions, watching as he _finally_ finished his food. Who could eat so much at such an occasion as this? But she wasn't ready to give up hope of swaying the prince.

There was still time, and she _finally_ had him alone. Now to try... wooing him.

She felt the breeze and had a thought. Wrapping her arms about herself, Sevrina shivered, and not all of it was an act.

Luke caught sight of the young woman and set his plate aside. Taking note of her posture, Luke removed his coat and draped it over her shoulders, but remained on his feet.

"There you go," Luke said quietly, turning back to the view and moving closer to the balcony.

Sevrina stood behind him and Luke tensed slightly. "Thank you for your coat, Prince Luke."

Her hand touched his shoulder and Luke remained tense. "Is something wrong?" she asked, and Luke closed his eyes before he gently but firmly removed her hand before it could wander. He could feel the lust and desire radiating from Sevrina.

"I know what you're trying to do, so don't," Luke told her flat-out.

At her half-confused, half-affronted expression, Luke cut her off before she could try to persuade him otherwise. "I am not looking to be with anyone, and not to be rude, but I'm not interested in you personally. I'm sorry."

Sevrina gaped at his audacity before anger took hold and she jerked her hand free of his. "Why you selfish oaf!"

Luke rolled his eyes and turned away. "So I hear. There are plenty of suitors in that room who want what you do, so stop wasting both our time and go meet _them_."

Sevrina fumed for a moment and then threw his jacket into his head. "Fine! Good riddance!"

Luke wasn't offended, and as soon as she was gone he breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't rejoin the party, however, closing his eyes and relishing the newfound silence of his solitude. He knew Padmé would probably be upset with him, but Luke couldn't take anymore of his mother's attempts to pair him with someone.

Why couldn't she let him meet his own girl? Was that too much to ask?

With a sigh, Luke let his mind blessedly clear of all thoughts.

 **00000**

"Leia, you know you could do anything to make a difference," Bail was saying, trying yet again to convince her that she had something worthwhile to offer to the Rebellion, something he knew she wanted to be part of, "you don't have to be up front about anything. I understand your predicament..."

Leia felt something and she whirled in time to cut Bail off before Padmé could overhear. Bail wisely shut his mouth and bowed deeply to the Empress.

"Your Highness."

"Bail, good evening." Padmé returned indifferently, giving him a look that clearly conveyed how she felt about him taking any of her daughter's time tonight. "I hate to interrupt, but my daughter is needed elsewhere now."

"Of course." Bail bowed deeper, feeling many eyes on him while Leia flushed and refused to meet Padmé's eyes. "My apologies, Majesty."

Padmé took Leia's arm and led her daughter off. The younger woman managed to not look back, but oh, how she wanted to avoid Erol, whom she knew Padmé was returning her to.

"Mother, we were only talking," Leia said softly.

"Is that all you were doing?" Padmé returned shortly.

"Yes." Leia returned mildly, risking Padmé's indignation. "Senator Organa has been a good help in the Senate aside from you. Can I not have more than one mentor? You wanted me to be a politician, and I enjoy it, but I'm allowed to have friends outside of Luke."

Padmé whirled and Leia instantly froze as the woman's finger was jabbed into Leia's face.

"You may be friends with those that _I_ pick out for you." Padmé hissed, and Leia swallowed fearfully at the sudden anger being directed her way, but held her ground. Padmé saw this in Leia and sighed softly, though she was pleased that Leia was strong like that.

Seeing that they had an audience, Padmé straightened as if nothing untoward had occurred. "However, you are correct in it being necessary to have more than one mentor. So I will allow you two to continue to work together, but nothing more."

Padmé motioned and Erol appeared out of nowhere. "Now, this is a lifeday celebration, so please enjoy your evening."

Leia lifted her chin. "Yes, Mother."

Leia glared at Erol once Padmé's back was turned, and refused to take the young man's arm. "I can walk myself, thank you."

His face reddened and Leia turned away.

 **00000**

To her chagrin, the rest of the night passed slower than a granite slug slinking across a street, and by the time it was over, Leia was more than ready to disappear into her room.

Luke materialized out of nowhere when it was time to retire, and he offered his arm, which she took without hesitation. Once they were out of public view, Leia allowed her shoulders to sag.

Concerned, Luke wrapped an arm about her. "Are you alright?"

"No."

Luke sighed softly. "I heard from rumors that something happened between you and Mother... I'm sorry Leia."

"How can she be so selfish all the time?" Leia hissed fiercely, her heart aching, even as she fought to keep tears at bay. "She can't deny me a friend!"

Luke bit his lip. "I think... maybe Mother doesn't want anyone taking you away from her."

"It's too late for her to worry about that," Leia remarked bitterly. "Many years too late."

Luke couldn't argue with that.


	6. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five:**

The next day, Luke was summoned early in the afternoon to join his family at an address by his father to the galaxy. Leia attended also and the twins now watched from their seats by Padmé as Emperor Vader was first announced by his majordomo and then walked up to the podium.

"Citizens of this glorious Empire!" Vader began clearly, almost... eagerly. "As you know, we your Emperor and Empress set a goal to free the galaxy of the tyrants known as Jedi, and to remove their filth from among us. And thus far we have been ruthless and punctual in our mission to do this. All Jedi we come across, and any who are found to be sympathizers have been dealt with to the utmost letter of the law."

A murmur went through the masses, and Luke eyed the crowd, sensing a large amount of anger and hatred of the Jedi, but he wondered if this was the case throughout the galaxy. He had encountered some peoples who didn't seem to despise the Jedi. And in any case, what was so bad about them, really?

Had the Jedi Order really turned evil as his parents had taught Luke and Leia? The young man didn't know, but as Vader went on in his long speech, Luke's attention wandered some.

Until the enclosed black speeder opened its doors which allowed a shackled, hooded man and several elite guards to exit. They approached a red circle on stage, the troopers having to help their stumbling charge walk straight.

"And here is another criminal!" Vader growled as the bag was ripped from the captive's head.

Luke straightened some to see a familiar face. Was that... Dishon? Luke recognized the Zabrak from his time training with Vader's elite Inquisitors.

"This man has tried to reawaken the Jedi ways!" Vader said to thunderous boos and shouts to have the 'fool beheaded'. "He broke the law! A law meant to keep the innocent citizens of the Empire... and of the entire _galaxy_ safe! We overthrew the Jedi's tyranny, and we shall _keep_ it down!"

The applause and roars of approval nearly deafened Luke, but what the young man could not have anticipated next was for Vader to turn to face his son. "But I will not be the executioner today. No: today that honor falls to my son and eventual heir, Luke Vader!"

Luke did a slight double-take, and very nearly let his jaw drop. Luke had never before been ordered to kill publicly, and he wondered morbidly if this was some sort of joke. But when Vader produced Luke's lightsaber in front of everyone, he knew this was very real.

A hush fell over the crowd, and Luke clearly felt the shock. A nudge from Padmé shook Luke from his inability to move, and with a deep breath he stood, walking to Vader. Leia's alarm radiated across their twin bond, though his sister remained outwardly silent. As soon as he was beside the elder man, Vader wrapped an arm about Luke's shoulders and turned to face the crowds.

"My son has been training under my supervision in the Force, preparing for his time as Emperor. He has prepared himself for a day such as this, when he can take his rightful place as another defender of this Empire and its citizens. Luke will earn his right to carry this lightsaber at all times by proving to us all that he is capable of doing his duty!"

Vader stepped back and again lifted the lightsaber for Luke to take. "Free the galaxy of this menace; stop the Jedi from returning!"

Luke's heart was pounding and he didn't know how he wasn't gaping like a beached fish, but he didn't immediately take the weapon. This garnered a look from his father that only the young man could see since the angle of Vader's face hid it from the crowd's immediate view. It was a look that frightened Luke to his core, and he felt his chest constrict with a reminder of his very real mortality.

After a time, and unaware of the personal battle waging on stage, the crowd began to back Vader up by chanting. "Prince Luke... Prince Luke..."

Luke looked out over the people, feeling a little lightheaded, and then returned his attention to his father, whose gaze hardened once more in warning. Luke swallowed heavily and finally took the weapon, earning himself louder applause.

He could feel Leia's absolute surprise that this was happening, and her horror that Luke was being forced into it. He heard her ask Padmé if this was actually happening, to which their mother replied curtly that yes, it was.

It was time for Luke to toughen up.

Returning his full attention to the moment at hand, Luke walked to where the prisoner was being held and gazed at the saber in his hand... and then looked to Dishon. The man held himself tall, though Luke saw the dread there.

"Please don't do this..." Dishon whispered. "We were friends..."

"Shut up!" a trooper snapped, hitting Dishon in the face with the butt of his rifle. Blood spurted from Dishon's mouth, and the Zabrak coughed while straightening.

Luke closed his eyes, feeling the pressure of the people, and especially his father to perform his task. And if he didn't... there would literally be hell to pay.

"I'm sorry," Luke whispered, barely audible. The young man flinched when white-hot fury scalded him as his father overheard.

He ignited the ruby lightsaber and Dishon gazed first at it, then Luke. Their eyes met...

"I forgive you, Luke," Dishon murmured. "May the Force be with you."

With his heart trying it's best to hammer out of his chest, Luke swung the lightsaber with deadly precision to remove Dishon's head from his shoulders. There was a moment of absolute silence in which a pin drop could have been heard... and then Luke was assaulted with the roaring approval of the people as the trooper nearest the head lifted it up triumphantly.

"Prince Luke has done it!"

To his dismay— something he hid well— the people chanted his name with greater fervor, and then his father was there, wrapping his arm around Luke's shoulders proudly, but Luke knew it was all for show at that point. He didn't need the Force to sense how upset his father was with him.

"Well done Son." Vader rumbled for everyone to hear. "Wear this lightsaber with pride."

Luke nodded, bowing deeply and wanting for nothing more than to disappear. He caught sight of the body behind him and resolutely looked away as Vader gave his closing remarks about the security of the Empire being restored and how it would continue.

Then Vader was there at Luke's side again, and the Emperor escorted Luke off stage.

Once they were alone, Vader turned to Luke and struck him harshly across the face. Luke rolled with the hit but still felt blood fill his mouth.

"The next time I give you an order, you do it _immediately!_ " Vader snapped furiously. "You were _weak_ out there! I heard you apologize to that rat!"

Vader struck Luke again and the young man withheld a vocalization of pain, knowing it would only anger Vader further.

"How _dare_ you embarrass yourself and ME with such a display!" His father went on heatedly, and Luke trembled at the boiling Dark Side energy that was gathering in Vader. "If you _ever_ pull a stunt like that again, I will send you to sublevel twelve myself!"

Luke's head snapped up in terror. "NO!"

Vader drew so close in a matter of one second that Luke back-stepped like a frightened animal from its master. But Vader grabbed Luke's chin in a steel grip, his cold fingers digging in painfully as the man forced his son to look him in the eye. "I _will_ do it the next time you disobey me like that."

"Yes sir," Luke whispered, swallowing with great difficulty. Sublevel twelve was where Vader sent those who were to be tortured, experimented on and other such things. It was also a gruesome place for a lasting, unforgettable punishment.

Vader eyed Luke for a moment and then straightened with a sniff. "You are such a disappointment to me, Luke." Luke's heart plummeted at the Emperor's words. "Years of elite training, the best tutors and even lessons from myself, and yet you are still weak. You can't perform a simple execution when I ask of it. Tell me, what do you think was the point of all your lessons if not to prepare you to do what I ask when I ask of it? Is that so difficult?"

Luke didn't— couldn't— answer, but his eyes flooded with hurt tears.

His father saw this and jerked his hand away, leaving vivid bruises on Luke's flesh. "Get out of my sight," he said in disgust.

Luke started to reply but Vader cut him off.

"Pack your bag because you have a mission to complete. Details will be on your ship." The man pointed a black-gloved finger at Luke's face in warning. "Do not fail me again... _Shadow_."

Luke felt as if Vader had sucker-punched him, using Luke's title instead of his relationship. But he nodded tremulously, turning on his heel and walking away with crisp, perfect steps.

 **00000**

Leia burst into Luke's room, her eyes searching out her twin in a flurry of emotion. "Luke!"

She had been kept by her mother for quite some time after Luke had been sent away by their father— Padmé and Leia had witnessed the entire display between the male Vaders— and had only now been excused.

The last hour had been torture for Leia, as all she'd wanted was to go to her brother. And now she was here, and it was all she could do to keep a semi-level head, so worried for her brother was she.

"Luke?!" Leia called again.

There wasn't a verbal answer, but she heard the tell-tale sound of one packing for a trip and detoured to the bedroom of his apartment. Save the display case of models, Luke's living space was sparsely decorated, with only a few pieces of memorabilia here and there to match his down-to-earth personality. One he rarely got to be proud of because of their forced lifestyle.

When Leia spotted her twin, it was to see him standing dejectedly in front of his bed, putting something into his duffel bag. He didn't acknowledge her arrival, but Leia knew he was aware of her presence.

Leia paused uncertainly, but then Luke turned to get something from his personal armory— to be utilized only for their missions— and Leia saw his wet cheeks. Her heart rising to her throat, Leia intercepted Luke's path and caught his eye.

"I'm so sorry Luke," Leia whispered, touching his face tenderly, noting the black marks from where their father had held Luke's chin. He also bore a split lip and a blackened eye that he hadn't had tended to. "I swear I had no idea they were going to do that!"

Luke met her gaze with his puffy eyes. "I know you didn't. I don't blame you, Leia, you know that."

He looked away then, breaking contact with his sister's palm. "He threatened to put me through... sublevel twelve..." The young man's voice cracked. "Me! His own flesh and blood!"

Leia's own eyes misted and she closed them briefly. "Maybe he was just trying to scare you?" she tried to assure him, but they both knew their father didn't threaten. He promised.

Luke shook his head, looking to her under wet eyelashes. "He meant every... every word."

Leia swallowed a bitter remark, knowing it would do no good anyway.

"He disowned me today," Luke finally whispered brokenly. "He called me Shadow instead of son... he's _disappointed_ in me! After all I've done for him!"

"No!" Leia exclaimed. "He loves you Luke!"

Her twin's jaw hardened. "Enough to send me to torture if I ever fail him again?"

Leia's next words died on her lips, having no adequate comeback for that remark. "I..."

Luke surprised her by suddenly taking her hands. "I can't keep killing for Father, Leia! I can't!"

She blinked, Leia's mouth working silently for a moment before she found her voice. "Luke... I don't want you to either, but what will he do if you try to quit on him?"

"He'd probably either kill me, send me to sublevel twelve permanently or enslave me so I can't ever disobey him again." Luke remarked, but he was trembling, and his grasp tightened almost desperately on Leia's fingers. "I _hate_ this life, Leia! I can't... that execution was terrible! How long before he makes me do it again? We're supposed to be shadows, not public executioners!"

Leia's next words were whispered. "Luke, we already kill for a living. How is it any different from doing it in the shadows?"

Her twin deflated as if she had kicked him in the stomach. "I know," he breathed despairingly. "And that's my point... _I don't_ _want_ _to kill_ _anymore_! Not like this. But I... I'm too afraid of Father's wrath. What do I do, Leia?"

She closed her eyes, feeling her own tears leaking forth. Luke lovingly wiped his sister's tears away, and Leia stepped close, wrapping her brother into an embrace. "I don't know, Luke."

He held her tightly, crying softly with her. "If... if something happens to me, please don't be angry with me."

Leia stiffened. "What would happen?"

Luke met her gaze, and something indescribable flickered in his blue depths. "I don't know, but if it does... please Leia, don't hate me."

Leia studied him openly, and then very slowly nodded. "I could never hate you, Brother. Never."

Luke's lips lifted into a hint of a smile, and he kissed her cheek in thanks. Then he pulled away from her and grabbed his weapons. "I have to get going; I'm due to leave in ten minutes."

Leia nodded silently, watching him finish gearing up sadly. Luke didn't speak again until he was ready to walk out the door. Leia followed Luke to the front door to his chambers and there he paused, hand still to the activation plate but not touching it.

With a slight air of desperation, Luke spun about and crushed Leia into a bear hug. "I love you, Leia. You've always been there for me, and I couldn't ask for a better sister."

Leia frowned worriedly at the way he was acting. "Luke, you're scaring me..."

He pulled back some and offered an apologetic look. "If I fail Father, I don't know exactly what he will do, and we may not see each other for a long time if he sends me... to be punished."

Leia still eyed her twin intently. "Are you planning something I should know about?"

Luke shook his head glumly. "No. But... I don't know how much more of this I can take."

Seeing his sister's panic begin to rise, Luke was swift to amend his wording. "I didn't mean that to sound like a suicide note."

She relaxed and sighed. "Alright." Her eyes hardened. "You'd better not try anything like that."

The corner of Luke's mouth lifted some. "I wouldn't do that to you."

Checking his wrist chrono, Luke grimaced. "I have to go, really. I love you, Sis."

With that and a final peck to her cheek, Luke was gone, hustling to meet his deadline.

 **00000**

A small, seemingly unimposing figure stood patiently on a large tree root as the little ship carefully descended and finally landed on a solid patch of earth. Fog and a myriad of small creatures scattered away from the new arrival, though the mist was swift to reclaim its previous position.

The being on the tree roots felt a warmth spread through his being as his visitor finally lowered the ramp and appeared at the top. As the four-foot orange-skinned woman descended, the figure in the trees moved to meet her halfway.

Silence reigned momentarily as they reached one another, with the pair studying each other as if to reacquaint themselves as in times of old.

Finally the woman smiled and spoke softly. "It has been a long time, my friend. You look good, though."

Jedi Master Yoda returned the smile, chuckling some. "Good for nearly nine hundred years I look, hmm?"

Maz Kanata smirked, amused. "You forget I am not that different in age from you."

"Remember, I do, fondly." Yoda's ears twitched. "Yes... a good friend, you have always been, Maz."

"Who could not like you?" Maz returned, shaking her head some. "I still remember how we first met; I thought you were so cute trying to still master your Force skills."

Yoda's eyes glittered with a mixture of embarrassment and humor. "An awkward stage for me, that was, yes?"

"Yes indeed," Maz replied.

Yoda hummed softly and then turned, gesturing to his little hut. "Come inside, wont you? Talk there, we shall."

"Alright," Maz agreed, walking at her friend's side as he ambled along with his gimer stick.

It was at that point that the little green man noticed Maz's right arm. He stopped in shock, and without thinking took the limb in his hands... or what was left of it.

"What happened?" Yoda asked in concern.

Maz grimaced, looking down as the memory returned. "The Emperor didn't like Dishon coming to me... and I may have let it slip that I thought someone may rise against Vader."

Yoda dipped his head, a deep sorrow gripping him. "Sorry for the loss, I am, Maz."

She laid a hand over his. "Don't be. I've already got a prosthetic lined up, and I think this will be a good thing. Not to mention a reminder to be more careful."

"Careful, yes," Yoda agreed, and there was something in his mannerisms that Maz read without even trying.

"I am not afraid, Yoda. I will still help you, as promised." She gestured with the stump of her limb. "This is only a minor setback. I am not broken, and never will be."

Yoda smiled gently. "Strong, you have always been. With you in that, I stand."

Yoda led her into his home and there he began to make some tea and soup for them to share. While it cooked, Maz settled into one chair.

"A young man came to me not long ago, seeking the Force's ways." She began, eyeing the other for his reaction. "But he wasn't the one you've been waiting for."

Yoda glanced at her side-on. "To him, what happened?"

"He was caught by Emperor Vader when he came to me. And then today he was publicly executed... by Vader's son." Maz admitted, seeing how Yoda's shoulders drooped some at that.

"Saw this broadcast, did you?" Yoda asked sadly.

"Yes," Maz replied honestly. "It was impossible not to if you have a holoscreen of any kind. They broadcasted it galaxy-wide."

"And the boy, his reaction?"

Maz blinked. "He... well, he was hesitant: even I could see that. But there was clearly more going on between father and son that many probably missed."

Yoda sighed softly, almost as if in relief. "Good, that is... hope then, there still is for Luke."

Maz eyed him openly. "Prince Luke... he's the boy you need, isn't he?"

Yoda finally turned to face her fully. "Yes. Watched him a long time, have I. Troubled often is Luke, wants nothing to do with the Dark Side, yet uncertain what to do or where else to turn is the youth."

Maz felt understanding come. "You want to help him. Will he rise against the Emperor, do you think?"

Yoda closed his eyes in a gesture Maz recognized as his way of consulting the Force. "Difficult to tell, but training and guidance young Luke will need all the same."

The green being's eyelids lifted and he looked into Maz's eyes. "Come to you first, I feel he will, which is why I have asked for your help."

Maz nodded slowly. "I understand."

The Jedi Master retrieved a meal for Maz and as they began to eat she eyed him over the lip of her bowl. After some time she spoke.

"I will help him when he comes to me, as you say." She leaned forward to lay a gentle hand upon Yoda's. "And I will give him whatever he needs. Do you want me to give him your location or bring him to you?"

Yoda shook his head. "The first time, ready he will not be. But when comes to you again, he does, help him get his footing and then send him to me. Tell him of me, you may, but where to find me, not until he meets you the second time should you."

Maz knew better than to question such a certain directive from the renowned Jedi Master, and so she dipped her head. "It will be done. After all you did for me in our years as friends I can finally repay your kindness."

Yoda smiled and then Maz favored him with an unrepentant grin. "I also brought you some _real_ food to eat, though I know how much you like your root stew."

Yoda and Maz both shared a laugh and Maz led the other to her ship to unload some supplies she'd brought along. After that was done, Maz had to bid her friend goodbye.

"You still have that little ship I gave you?" Maz asked, looking to the structure that had been built over the vessel she meant. She'd given him a small craft to use if he ever needed to leave Dagobah, which the other said he may need to do in the future.

"Yes." Yoda inclined his head. "Many thanks, Maz."

She placed a hand to his shoulder and gave a gentle squeeze. "Goodbye until next time, Master Yoda. May the Force be with you."

"And with you," Yoda murmured, standing back to give her ship a safe berth.

Maz smiled a final time and left, taking to the stars soon after her ship sealed.


	7. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six:**

Han pursed his lips as he regarded the cargo before him, wondering if he would be better off letting someone else take this particular shipment. This much uncut spice was just asking for trouble, and Han would become a hot target the moment the crates were sealed inside the _Millennium Falcon_.

[We don't really have a choice, Han,] Chewbacca reasoned, somehow knowing what was on the man's mind.

"Yeah... I know." Han admitted grudgingly, recalling their last encounter with Jabba the Hutt.

 **00000**

 _Han swore as the wire he was trying to reattach zapped him, making the smuggler drop his tool and shake his hand fervently to try relieving the pain. That wire had been carrying a lot of juice after all._

 _From under the ship, a questioning growl sounded from the smuggler's first mate, and Han replied tersely. "This kriffing wire got me pretty good, the dumb thing!"_

 _Han only then realized that his multi-tool had slipped between pieces of machinery when he'd dropped it and Han swore again._

" _Ah... now I have to fish out the tool!" Han bemoaned when he ran out of colorful words._

 _With a tired sigh, Han lay flat on the hull and very carefully tried to reach the tool without getting shocked again._

 _So engrossed was he in that task that the man was oblivious to the arrival of several beings in the hangar where Han's ship was berthed. But Chewie noticed and straightened, coming forward._

 _[Han...]_

 _The dark-haired man bit his lip as his fingers finally grazed the tool, and when it rocked Han held hid breath. But it didn't fall deeper and so the man strained his arm... closer..._

 _[Han...] Chewie warned again, more urgently._

" _Got it!" Han crowed when he finally grasped the tool and hefted it up triumphantly._

 _[HAN!]_

" _What?" Han snapped back, turning irritably._

 _However, his face drained of some color when he saw his visitors, and found himself staring into the bulbous eyes of a familiar crime lord._

"Han Solo _," Jabba the Hutt rumbled in Huttese._

" _Hey Jabba," Han returned with a false smile. "What brings you here?"_

 _The Hutt narrowed his eyes at the smuggler. "_ You know why I am here, Solo. Where is my money? _"_

 _Han played nonchalant, hoping to appear more at ease than he was inside. "You'll get it. Have I ever not paid you off?"_

"Yes. _" Jabba snapped, and Han rolled his eyes._

" _I meant before this incident. It wasn't my fault the Empire decided to board me when I was carrying your spice! I need a little more time to get the funds; I already have half of it."_

 _Jabba's thick brow lifted at that. "_ Then give me that half. _"_

 _Han remained on top of the Falcon. "I don't have it with me Jabba; I stashed it in a safe place so I could give you the whole cache when I got the rest."_

 _Jabba growled in annoyance. "_ You lie: you don't have the money! _"_

" _I swear I do!" Han defended himself. "Chewie, tell him!"_

 _[He does have it, and we have the records to prove it,] the Wookiee harned._

"Let me see the logs, _" Jabba demanded._

 _Han nodded to Chewie, who disappeared into the freighter for a moment, returning soon after. Jabba slithered up to meet the Wookiee and look over the datapad the Wookiee held and then reluctantly handed it back._

"Very well. I will give you one more month, and if I don't have the full amount plus ten percent interest, your hide will be mine. I won't kill you, though, no... I think the Kessel spice mines could use two fresh slaves in their midst. _"_

 _Han's face paled further and Chewie harned agitatedly, causing Jabba's bodyguards to lift their weapons warningly._

" _Jabba, you're a wonderful human being," Han muttered sarcastically, to which the Hutt huffed and signaled his men off._

 _As they lumbered out, Han wondered just how in space he was supposed to come up with that much money in such a short amount of time._

 **00000**

Han sighed deeply. Their month was nearly up, and if Han didn't take this shipment of spice, he and Chewie wouldn't have the money they needed to pay back Jabba. It was their only hope to keep out of Jabba's crosshairs... and of all the bounty hunters that would be sent their way if the two failed.

"Alright, let's get this stuff onboard. But keep an eye out, huh?" Han looked around somewhat nervously himself.

[The sooner we finish this shipment run the better,] the Wookiee agreed.

With that, the pair began loading crate after crate, something that would take them a good while with the amount they had to ship. The entire load was worth millions of credits, and Han had settled with the dealer to get one million from the entire deal if the shipment arrived complete and unharmed.

And of that million, over half would still be going to the Hutt they were in debt to.

But the other part would make for some money to use in making a few more modifications to the _Falcon_ , something Han had wanted to do for some time now, but lacked the funds to make happen.

 **00000**

From the deep shadows in the farthest reaches of the cavernous space, a young man with altered physical features stood. His blond hair was now a temporary black and his eyes a deep brown. Luke wasn't certain just why he'd changed his immediate looks, but he supposed he didn't want to be recognized after the execution's broadcast. Besides, he could go back to his natural appearance while returning to his father.

Luke watched the Corellian and his Wookiee friend Chewbacca load crate after crate. The boxes were unmarked and yet sealed tighter than a watertight ship. The only thing that could be in those crates was spice, and Luke whistled to himself at the payload before him.

But Luke wasn't interested in drugs. No, he was following the movements of the smugglers with a keen, watchful eye. He noted a pattern after a time. While at first they'd come in and out of the vessel one at a time and constantly crossing paths, soon the pair began moving almost in sync so that there were long seconds of inactivity outside the vessel.

It was during one of these gaps in attention that Luke snuck into the forest of crate stacks still to be packed, and then to stand just under the ramp. The Shadow had made certain that there would be no prying eyes to interrupt, so he knew the coast was clear outside this hangar bay. He'd also set the cameras to loop so Luke could operate under the radar.

Luke waited a few more turns of the man and Wookiee making trips with crates to make his move. They had started reverting to the previous pattern of one coming out then the other as the first went inside.

Thus it was that Chewbacca lumbered up the ramp as Han ambled down, muttering something to himself about some part or another for the YT-1300 freighter the man called the _Millennium Falcon_.

As soon as he had a clear path to the man, Luke used the Force to distract the Wookiee with a sound deep inside the ship. He felt the Wookiee come to attention and then go seeking the cause of the noise while Han remained oblivious.

When the man had his back turned and then bent to collect his next box, Luke stepped out of the shadows, hood still drawn up deeply over his head. There he stood between the smuggler and the ramp as the man straightened under his new load.

If the situation hadn't been so stressed for Luke already, the look on the smuggler's face would have been comical. The man froze up, nearly dropping his precious cargo and backing up unsteadily as his momentum was thwarted.

Luke remained silent as the man's emotions painted his face in different ways, from fear and shock to indignation and uncertainty.

"Who are you?" Han demanded sharply.

Luke didn't answer, only staring at the other from under his black cowl.

When Han got no answer, he risked setting down his cargo, talking as he went. "Are you here for the spice? Because I'm not giving it up so easily."

Luke still didn't answer and as soon as the man's hand crept for his blaster Luke motioned, freezing the other's hand in place with the Force. In the next moment Luke had his lightsaber drawn and lit.

As it ignited and bathed Luke in a ruby glow, the smuggler's entire countenance changed. Suddenly understanding lit in his eyes even as he backed up a step, his hands falling to his sides.

"You're an inquisitor." The finality in the other's tone gave Luke slight pause. "Here to kill me for letting that Zabrak go."

Luke's hand lowered a hair, the blade deviating from its angled position across his body.

Han swore softly. "I knew that choice would come back to bite me in the rear, but it was the right thing to do."

Luke, who had taken a step forward with the intent to end this man's life swiftly and be done with things, again paused. This time the man noticed.

"What, suddenly Inquisitors have moral compasses?" the Corellian asked bitterly and Luke glared at the other, incensed.

But before the Shadow could make another move against the smuggler, his warning sense tingled. With the speed of a nexu and the agility of an acklay, Luke leapt up and over the head of the Wookiee who'd tried to take him out from behind.

The Wookiee roared angrily that anyone would attack his friend, and chased after Luke with surprising dexterity. Luke ducked a large hairy arm and kicked at the Wookiee's knee with a booted foot.

He wasn't all that surprised when the two-meter being barely flinched. Luke found himself rolling away and coming up behind the other while Han reached for his blaster again. Luke's lightsaber reignited in an instant as Han shot at him.

The smuggler's shots were redirected at him and the other shouted in alarm before ducking for cover behind the crates. Then Luke had to deal with the Wookiee, and he took a meaty fist to the ribs before he could catch it.

Luke's breath left him in a whoosh but he pushed through it and Force-shoved at the Wookiee. Chewbacca moved a little, and then Luke grabbed at one crate in the Force and threw it at the being's face.

As the Wookiee roared in distress, Luke sprinted toward the smuggler, who was firing at him again. All the shots were deflected and then Luke leapt up and over the crates to land behind the man.

Han was too slow to spin around and so Luke swept the man's feet out from under him. Han went down with a cry and Luke disarmed him before placing his lightsaber's blade to the other's throat.

But all the movement had caused Luke's hood to slip, and so when Han finally got a look at his attacker, he froze, his eyes widening in shock.

"Stars... you're just a kid!" Han exclaimed.

Luke's lip curled: he was _eighteen_! "I am _not_ a kid!"

Han continued to gape but, to Luke's befuddlement, the man didn't beg for his life. Luke heard the Wookiee trying to advance and he moved the blade threateningly, making the hairy alien freeze.

"If you're going to kill me, then just do it," Han said simply, but not bitterly, and Luke met the man's hazel gaze.

Luke remained silent, but he pushed the deadly weapon a hair closer to the other's neck, watching as the skin began to turn red from the proximity of his blade. But there Luke paused, unable to bring himself to do it.

Han's words from moments before came back to Luke then: _it was the right thing to do..._

But his father... Luke would pay dearly if he botched this mission.

Chewbacca tried to advance a bit more as he noticed Luke's distracted state but Han, seeing the warring emotions in the young man's gaze, held up a hand, though his attention remained on the person before him.

"You won't do it," Han stated softly.

Driven by a fear of the Emperor's wrath, Luke was swift to respond. "I _will!_ " Luke hissed vehemently, twitching his blade for effect.

But Han remained steadfast, calm. "No. You won't do it because you don't _want_ to. I see it in your eyes."

Luke hesitated, but did not retract the weapon. "I must..." Part of his mind wondered why he was even debating this with a stranger.

"Do you _really_ have to do it?" Han wanted to know.

"Yes," Luke whispered urgently.

"Why?"

Luke blinked. "What?"

Han lifted a brow. "Why do you have to do the job?"

Luke ground his teeth. "Because it's what I've been... trained to do. And if I don't then the retribution will be terrible." But his hand was trembling somewhat even as he continued to battle himself.

And Han was right... Luke _didn't_ want to do this. He'd said as much to Leia, and he had meant it. But there was also the deep-seated fear that his father would never forgive Luke for this if he disappointed the man anymore.

"I... I can't _not_ do it," Luke whispered, torn.

"You can break free, Kid," Han told the young man. "You don't have to do something you know is wrong. This is your chance to try something new. Just try it. Why not find out what it can be like outside of the Empire's watchful eye?"

Luke glanced around pointedly. "Become a smuggler?"

"No; become a _free_ person," Han corrected, carefully lifting one hand.

Luke's eyes riveted to it instantly, and followed the limb as it moved to cover Luke's own where it grasped the lightsaber.

"Be stronger than what you've been made in to. I served under the Empire briefly myself and broke free to save Chewie and some other Wookiees." Luke's gaze shifted to meet Han's once more, surprised.

Han's palm now rested on the back of Luke's hand. "Do the right thing, Kid. Break free... try living on your own."

Luke closed his eyes, his heart pounding forcefully as the full impact of what this man wanted Luke to do settled upon the youth's shoulders. Break free... Han didn't know what he was asking Luke to break free _from_.

And yet... there was something deep within Luke's bosom that urged him to take the man up on his request. Luke thought back to his years of doubt, his being sometimes cruelly set on what Vader deemed the 'right course' when Luke's gut told him over and over it was wrong.

And this... this job, what would it really accomplish?

 _Break free... be free... just try..._

He couldn't... but he didn't want this life anymore... he couldn't... there'd be hell to pay... he was petrified...

 _Be brave, Luke._ A soft, female voice whispered to him from a breeze on the Force, and the young man started internally.

Who had that been?

But the peace that had drifted to him on those words pierced him like nothing ever had, and Luke gasped sharply. His hand shifted almost without his consent and shut off the lightsaber.

Luke moved away and dropped the weapon to the side, breathing hard as he struggled with the terror of the unknown future. His hands were shaking more heavily now, but Luke clung desperately to that single strand of peace to ground him in hope.

He would try to be strong. He would try something different. And he would pray to the cosmos that this didn't end with Luke strapped to a chair in sublevel twelve.

Luke ended up placing his head between bended knees, and he spoke to Han, though his voice was directed at the floor. "Go... get out of here while you still can."

Han had risen, but upon seeing the state the young man was in, the smuggler hesitated a moment. Finally, tentatively, he knelt beside the other. "Hey, come with us."

Luke lifted his head at that. "Come with you? I just tried to kill you."

Han shrugged. "It's in the past. And I'm the one who talked you into this, so I kind of feel responsible. Chewie and Me can teach you what we know, or you can just tag along for the ride. But you're pretty good in a fight, and we could use you. It wouldn't pay well, the job won't be very nice to you, but it's something."

Luke eyed the pair, noting how the Wookiee seemed a little wary yet, but nor was he still trying to unarm Luke. The Shadow looked away again, contemplating. He really had nowhere else to go, and he didn't know anyone who would take him in... but Han and Chewie didn't know who Luke was. They thought he was an inquisitor... but he was so much more dangerous than that.

"You don't know what you're asking for," Luke whispered, not meeting Han's gaze. "I'm better off alone."

"I think we can manage," Han remarked, already rising and offering a hand up. "Besides, what's life without a little adventure and danger, huh?"

Luke frowned up at the guy, but eventually gave in, hesitantly taking the smuggler's hand and letting himself be hoisted up. He eyed the Wookiee gingerly. "Sorry about your face."

The Wookiee replied in his native tongue, and Luke had to look to Han for a translation. "He says not to worry about it, but that now our shipment isn't going to arrive untouched, so we will be out several thousands of credits. We really need that money."

Luke looked around. "There's still enough spice here to make anyone filthy rich."

Han and Chewie shared a look. "Yeah... well, wanna lend us a hand getting it all loaded?"

Luke sighed, moving over to a crate. "I guess so."

Sometime later— and after Luke had returned to his ship to deactivate the systems and lock it down so no one could tamper with it— the trio lifted off from the spaceport.

Instead of watching the view from the cockpit, however, Luke disappeared into the guest cabin and lay down on the first bunk he came to. There he stared without really seeing at the wall, not knowing how to feel.

He had disobeyed a direct order from his father... had essentially run away. The question was what Vader would do about it. The possibilities all gave Luke chills, and he found it difficult to get any amount of sleep that night.


	8. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven:**

" _Daddy, look what I can do!"_

 _Darth Vader looked up from a report to see his young son stride in with a huge grin on his face. The Emperor snorted softly to himself in amusement, but in the face of his child's exuberance, the man couldn't deny Luke._

 _As Luke reached him, Vader set aside his things and allowed Luke to climb into his lap. Luke promptly pulled something from his pocket, set it on the desk a ways away, and paused. Vader waited expectantly, thinking he knew what Luke would do, but not wishing to steal his child's moment._

 _Indeed, Luke now extended a small hand and the toy lifted several inches off the table. Luke surprised Vader by turning his head and grinning at his father... all while maintaining a steady, sure grip on the fruit in the Force._

" _See Daddy?!" Luke beamed proudly._

" _I do!" Vader praised evenly, impressed at the control Luke exhibited at such an age as this. "That is excellent work, my son."..._

 _... "Dad, can we build my model tonight?" a slightly older Luke asked eagerly, hefting the box with the model intended for someone several years his senior._

 _Vader looked up from where he sat at the head of the long conference table. Padmé, catching sight of their son, smiled softly, knowingly, but let them be. Although, there seemed to be a little something new in his wife's gaze when looking at their son. Little Leia, the near-spitting image of her gorgeous mother, rolled her eyes at Luke's love of all things ships and mechanics._

 _Vader smiled at this display of female distaste, something Leia and his wife shared. Vader considered his son._

" _I think I can make time after my final meeting." Vader allowed._

 _Luke's face instantly split into a wide grin, sowing his pearly whites. "Really?"_

" _Of course; I wouldn't say yes, if I didn't mean it, now would I?" Vader asked mildly, and the child became somewhat subdued. Vader lifted an impressed eyebrow, and gave himself a point for the current success of Luke's initial Force-training._

 _The boy was doing well so far, that was for certain, though Vader wasn't sure how far he would push his son just yet._

 _That evening found father and son bent over the half-constructed Naboo starfighter model, parts strewn over the table. To any outsiders it would seem a complete mess, but the pair knew exactly what they were doing._

 _Well, at least Vader did. Luke simply trusted that his father knew what was best. Currently Vader was watching with amusement as Luke, tongue stuck between his teeth, concentrated on attaching the latest piece._

 _When he succeeded, Luke tossed a happy look at Vader and reached for the successive part. To Vader's mild astonishment, Luke levitated the piece instead of picking it up by hand. He then tried to glue it on while holding said piece in place with the Force._

 _Vader chuckled when Luke succeeded in some regards, but still had to adjust the piece with his fingers. "An interesting way to hone your skills, Luke."_

 _Luke snickered, throwing Vader a winning grin. "Yeah! I want to be a Jedi just like you, Dad!"_

 _The remark was so unexpected and unwelcome that Vader recoiled both physically and in the Force._

" _What?!" he all but roared, all levity forgotten._

 _Luke jumped a foot in the air and landed on his backside upon the floor as a result. "What's wrong Dad?"_

 _Vader was on his feet and grabbing at Luke's arm, jerking the boy upright with frightening intensity. He ignored how Luke suddenly cowed, fear clear in every line of his face. Vader had never reacted to him in such a manner._

" _What did you say?" Vader repeated, and the tone of his voice booked no arguments or jokes._

" _I... I want to be like you, Dad... a Jedi!" Luke stammered._

" _I am NOT a Jedi!" Vader hollered, making his son's eyes widen._

" _B-but... but I thought only Jedi used the Force?" Luke managed fearfully, afraid of the swelling cold and anger in the room, and of the swirls of hatred thick in the air._

" _NO!" Vader snapped, before it finally registered that Luke was shaking like a nexu's next meal as the predator approached. He realized how hard he was holding the boy, the pain of his grip radiating off the child along with his fear._

 _With an effort, Vader calmed himself, letting go of the child. Luke staggered from the sudden release, and he wrapped his arms about himself, the model forgotten momentarily._

" _Where did you hear of the Jedi?" Vader asked in as calm a tone as he could muster._

" _F-from Ms. Weyfel," Luke replied, frowning worriedly._

 _The childrens' babysitter? She was filling his childrens' heads with Jedi heresy?!_

" _She tells stories of them," Luke was going on, unaware that his caretaker's days had suddenly expired. Weyfel would be meeting her end within hours of this moment, "and of how they were good people who defended the people. Just like you, right Dad?"_

 _Vader blew out a breath and turned away. "No, not like me at all. They_ used _to be good people, but they turned out to be fakes. They weren't real: their compassion was only a mask for their ugly souls. They betrayed those who needed them and were never truly a help."_

 _Vader spun back around, grabbing Luke's shoulders in his grasp. "Luke, the Jedi were evil beings! Don't ever speak of them again, and do not believe those stories of the Jedi being marvelous beings. The only thing they were good for was lying, understand?"_

 _Luke's eyes were huge, but he nodded, frightened anew but now for different reasons._

" _I especially don't want you fantasizing of ever_ being _a Jedi, do I make myself clear?" Vader warned._

" _Y-yes, Dad." Luke swallowed hard._

 _Vader nodded once, sharply, and straightened in a swish of dark robes. He left in a huff, not hearing Luke's plaintive question of 'what about the model?' as he did so._

 _But one thing was for certain: Luke needed studious training. He needed to be shown the_ true _path of the Force, the one he'd been born into... his birthright._

 _And Luke would be a formidable Force user... and in time, a Sith._

 _Vader smiled suddenly: 'just like his father.'..._

 **00000**

Luke's wet eyes opened silently, and in the first waking moments he was lost to pondering the memories he'd just dreamt of. The first had been a rare gift of one of the few good, innocent memories Luke had of him with his father.

The second... that one had marked the true start of the decline the pair's relationship had steadily taken from that moment. Vader hadn't ever been the same after that, and Luke had been thrust into the suddenly intensely-focused and strict regime of a Force-based education.

The intent of his father to keep Luke from ever becoming a Jedi had turned into training to become a Shadow: one of Vader's elite assassins. Shadows were trained to an even higher degree than the Inquisitors, and as far as Luke knew, he and Leia were the only two. And though Leia also had been thrown into it, for Luke it had been something more. And now that he could look back, he understood it much more clearly at present than he had as a child.

This had also led Vader to view Luke as less and less a son and more and more a tool, a mere underling with powerful Force abilities.

And what was worse, his mother had caught on and together, the power-drunken Vaders had moved away from their children and closer to their own selfish ends. The fact saddened Luke immensely, and he wished briefly for a chance to return to simpler times... to before he had been old enough to understand what was _really_ going on.

A shudder around Luke drew his awareness away from the reverie and back to the present situation. And with the hours that had passed, Luke's reality sank in further still.

He had run away. And as far as Vader would be concerned, he was now a traitor to be dealt with... and when Luke didn't return, his father would be furious. That notion still frightened Luke, but something held him fast to his decision to rebel.

He wasn't entirely certain what that something was— perhaps it had to do with that voice he'd heard during his mission, the one that had convinced him to drop the lightsaber— but Luke really, _really_ wanted to find out.

And he couldn't do that from Imperial Center.

With a deep breath— and the scent of something admittedly delicious wafting on the air— Luke dragged himself from the bed and ambled out of the cabin

 **00000**

Han had gone into the galley to make something to eat when their new shipmate finally re-emerged from the cabin he'd holed up in. Han had chosen to give the young man some space as he was undoubtedly coming to grips with leaving the Empire.

It was probably the only life the poor kid had ever known, and Han could understand the hardship of leaving such a thing and venturing blindly into the unknown.

Chewbacca was seated at the dejarik table in the lounge while Han cooked and tinkering with some piece of machinery. With a slightly amused air, Han watched the teenager as he gingerly settled into a seat opposite the Wookiee.

Something that struck Han— an anomaly the smuggler had missed during their fight for obvious reasons— was the deep bruising on the kid's face. The most notable ones were finger-marks on his chin and jawbone. There were also a split lip and small contusion above one eye that was healing.

Han tried to puzzle the kid out, with only minimal success: dedicated definitely, conflicted of course, but... there was something about the youth in front of Han that drew the smuggler to him. But what, exactly that was, Han didn't know, only that it was akin to what he might have felt for a younger brother.

As the young man simply sat in awkward silence, Han took pity on him. Deciding the stew would be fine simmering for a few minutes Han stepped out of the galley, gaining the youth's attention instantly. Definitely sharp, this one, Han mused.

"So I don't believe we caught your name?" Han asked leadingly.

The other hesitated, looking away as he considered his answer. Finally the other responded. "Call me Velius."

Han lifted a brow. "Interesting name. Where do you come from, aside from the Empire?"

"That's not important." The black-haired youth deflected. "What I would like to know is why you're carrying so much spice."

Han's lips twitched toward a smile. "It's business, that's all, Kid."

A flash of annoyance crossed Velius' face at the nickname, but Han ignored it. Standing, Han went back to the stove. "You hungry?"

"Yeah," Velius called after him.

"Good. Come and get some, and while you're at it, take a bowl to Chewie," Han told the youth.

The young man eyed the alien as he grumbled something, and Han let them be, knowing Chewie wouldn't do anything to the newcomer.

"I'm... I'm sorry for whatever it was the Empire did to you, Chewbacca," Velius said softly.

Shocked, Han spun about, spilling stew from the bowl in his grasp. Han ignored it to stare incredulously at the young man, who noticed the scrutiny and shifted under it. Chewbacca was also dumbfounded that an agent of said Empire would be brave— or good enough— to actually apologize.

Velius rose with an uncomfortable rub of both hands on his pants. "I may have grown up in the Empire, but that doesn't mean I agree with everything it does."

With that, the kid retrieved Chewie's food, took some for himself and sat alone in a corner to eat in silence. All the while the two smugglers stared at the kid until Chewbacca shook himself out of it and ate the offering of food.

Han took a moment or two longer to come around, but when he did, it was with a deeper respect for Velius. But it also got Han to wondering just who their new companion was. Because he didn't act like any Imperial Han had ever met, and he'd met quite a few.

After serving himself and sitting down in a chair to eat, Han studied the youth from where he was. Dark hair... brown eyes... slight build that belied a surprising amount of strength. Who was Velius, and what was his back-story?

"Your accent marks you as a Coruscanti," Han remarked conversationally, casually digging for information.

The other's eyes met his, though their owner didn't speak right away. The kid played with his leftovers a moment, no doubt contemplating.

"I spent most of my life there." Velius finally allowed, though he volunteered nothing more.

"How old were you when the Emperor started to train you?" Han asked curiously.

The other's food was set aside, appetite gone. "Too young."

"Too young to know in reality what you were being molded in to?" Han pressed gently.

Brown eyes met hazel. "It's not like I knew there was any other way. I..." Abruptly Velius stopped as he realized he was giving away too much information and he promptly snapped his mouth shut.

"You trusted him, naturally," Han supplied knowingly.

When the kid turned a glare on Han, the smuggler spread a free hand in a gesture of peace. "I don't have a pleasant past either. I know what it's like to be used for one's innocence and youth. I've been a criminal since I was three."

Velius's brow lifted in surprise. "Three?"

Han nodded, looking away at last. "Yeah."

A quiet moment, then, "I'm sorry."

Han waved the words away. "Don't be. Those experiences helped shape who I am today."

Velius' lips quirked some. "So, what, you became an _older_ criminal?"

Han snorted, shaking his head and setting his own bowl aside while Chewie chortled. "Very funny, Kid."

The teenager looked to Han, scrutinizing him in turn. "You don't seem fully fleshed out yourself, how old are you?"

Taken aback at the subject change, Han blinked, and then figured there was no harm in admitting it. "I'm twenty standard years old, soon to be a year older and wiser."

While this caused Chewbacca to guffaw loudly and slap his leg in humor, it was Velius' turn to blink.

"Oh." He tilted his head as if that could give him a better view of the smuggler. "And how did someone like you get his own ship and smuggling job so early on in life?"

Han shrugged. "I know people. Some of them I wish I didn't, but that's life, Kid."

The other lifted his head. "Wait, you said you were part of the Empire... how old were you that you could get a position to be near prisoners?"

Han wasn't used to anyone trying to pick apart his past like this, and he didn't like it. "Listen, Kid, that's enough with the background info, alright? It happened, that's all that matters. And no, you don't need to be worried, the Empire is done with me in that regards."

But the other wasn't about to let it go. "It's not true, is it?" he asked knowingly, causing Han to redden. "Rescuing the Wookiees is, but you were never employed in the Navy. You were far too young..."

"Not to start training for piloting," Han snapped. "Now shut up!"

Velius recoiled some, but realized his error and looked away. "I'm... I'm sorry; I shouldn't have put my nose where it doesn't belong."

Han sighed deeply, running a hand over his face. "It's not your fault I have a less than stellar past, Kid. But when someone tells you to drop something, there's usually a reason behind it."

The other nodded. "Yeah."

Their young comrade eyed the dishes and stood, collecting the empty bowls and utensils. "I'll clean up."

Han lifted a brow. "I can do it."

"No, I need to do something to earn my keep, don't I?" Velius retorted, not allowing room for argument.

Han snorted, amused, but let the kid go.

 **00000**

"I believe that concludes this session," Senator Mon Mothma declared, rising. The rest of those gathered about the oval table stood also, and with a nod of respect to each other, the assortment of Senators in the meeting began to file out.

Leia lingered as Bail and Mon Mothma met at the head of the enormous desk and spoke in low tones. She didn't need the Force to guess what they were discussing— Leia had had her suspicions about Mon Mothma's true loyalties for a while now, she just didn't have proof— and approached gingerly.

Both pairs of eyes glanced her way and they stopped talking. Then Mon smiled softly. "Princess, do you need anything?"

Leia realized she had a hand extended as if to ask permission to join the discussion. She closed her fist tentatively, drawing the arm back towards her middle, and shook her head. "No, I'm sorry... I didn't mean to interrupt."

Mon and Bail shared one more look before Bail touched the woman's elbow and murmured something. Mon inclined her head and left while Leia stared after her. Once the door was shut and they were alone, Leia turned towards Bail.

"You were talking about the Rebellion, weren't you?" Leia whispered.

The man didn't speak immediately, studying the young woman before him, but eventually gave a small nod. "Yes. She is... one of the founders along with me, and we were talking movements of ships."

Leia swallowed, thinking back— as she had the last two days— on Luke's behavior. His now-outspoken desire to stop being their father's Shadow had touched her deeper than she'd realized. But deep enough to help the Rebellion?

Well, not yet, but she didn't have to be a snitch either.

"I won't sell you out, Bail." Leia promised.

"I know you won't Leia, and I thank you." Bail gestured for her to walk with him, and they left together. "How have you been doing?"

Leia tweaked her mouth in a not-so-mature manner. "Stellar, if an overbearing mother is factored in."

Bail blinked at her, surprised. Never before had Leia openly spoken of the Empress in such a manner, even though the man knew Leia was chaffing under Padmé's constant attentions. For the princess to do so now gave Bail an unexpected surge of hope that Leia might _finally_ be coming into her own.

"I... am certain she means well," Bail answered diplomatically, though he let the Force-sensitive Leia feel he agreed with her privately.

Leia glanced his way and smiled minutely, something the Senator from Alderaan returned.

"Perhaps she did at first," Leia murmured after a time of silence. "But somewhere along the way it became less about teaching me and more about conditioning me and all but forcing me into situations. Father is doing the exact same to Luke; only, he's much harder on my brother."

Leia took a shuddering breath. "Especially of late," she said so quietly the man almost didn't hear.

Bail frowned in concern and pulled the young woman to the side and into a relatively private alcove. "Leia, are they hurting you and Prince Luke?"

"...no," Leia answered guardedly, recognizing the dangerous waters the two were treading now.

"Princess..." Bail began but Leia shook her head in a manner not so unlike her mother that Bail recognized instantly as a signal to stop talking and listen. He obeyed.

"They aren't abusing us... though..." Leia swallowed, and then her eyes went slightly unfocused. Bail had spent enough time around Jedi to recognize she was doing something with the Force. Probably she was checking to see if there were any eavesdroppers.

"Father threatened to punish Luke if he ever fails again... by sending him twelve levels below." Leia finished, her eyes swimming with unshed tears. "How _could_ he?"

Bail had to take a moment to realize what she was saying, and as the notion slowly began to dawn, Bail straightened. This wasn't something he'd ever heard of before.

"Leia, what is twelve levels below?" he asked intently.

"Father and Mother's secret... _interrogation_ and _punishment_ chambers." Leia shivered in horror. "You only come back out if you're meant to live, but you're never the same even if you do."

Bail's eyebrows lifted. This could be something useful in the fight against the tyrants ruling the Empire... "Leia, is there any way to get proof of what goes on down there?"

Leia's head instantly lifted, her eyes wide with absolute terror. "I am _never_ going down there!" She nearly shrieked, back-stepping. "NEVER!"

Bail stepped forward hastily, hands up and fanning gently in a calming gesture as he noted a few concerned stares pass them by. Bail drew Leia deeper into the shadows, behind a large pillar. "Princess, calm down! I didn't mean _you_ had to go down!"

Leia took several long seconds to stop shaking, and Bail broke protocol to draw her into a gentle embrace. To his surprise, she returned it eagerly, needful.

"I will never go down there, Bail! Please don't ask that of me!" She breathed.

"I only wanted to know if there was way to get proof it exists and what happens there," Bail reassured her. "But we will need to find a way."

Leia considered. "I... if you come up with something, I will consider. Until then, don't ever talk of it."

"I understand." Bail stepped back to let Leia straighten her senatorial gown.

"Thank you, Bail." Leia was once more the picture of elegance, all evidence of her previous emotion gone. Padmé would have been proud, Bail reflected. "I will see you at the next meeting, Senator."

He bowed. "I look forward to it, Princes Leia. Have a good evening."

She inclined her head and walked away, leaving Bail to his thoughts on this new information.


	9. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight:**

Han turned to Velius once the _Falcon_ had begun its approach to the surface of Delrakkin. "These guys aren't expecting three people, so stay hidden on the ship, alright? Don't come out until I tell you."

The other lifted a brow, but was smart enough to not argue; something Han had learned over the three-day trip to the current planet. The kid was smart, and he knew when to keep his mouth shut, especially after the conversation from the other day.

Once Velius was gone, Han glanced at Chewie. "Here goes nothing. Let's hope they're in a good mood today."

Chewie whuffed in agreement and helped Han lower the ship to a clearing amid a thick jungle. There was no movement at first, but Han knew his contact and the man's goons were out there, waiting.

And sure enough they began to trickle out of the tree-line, and soon the _Falcon_ was flanked on two sides. Han waited, however until the final additions came: the leader of the Jikati Pirate gang and his second in command appeared in their specially modified speeder.

Only then did Han nod to his copilot and stand up. Chewbacca followed Han to the ramp, where they stood until it lowered. They walked down its length with confidence Han didn't entirely feel. The shipment wasn't untouched as promised, but Han was ready to deal with the pirates on that front.

Han stopped just after his feet touched the dark soil beneath the _Falcon's_ landing struts, gazing at the male Vurk sitting at the front of his speeder.

"Zolar Lo," Han greeted him in a businesslike manner. "Good to see you."

The dark green skin of the alien's narrow, angular head tightened somewhat as the man frowned with distaste. The long, curved crest reaching back a ways from the crown of Zolar's head gave the pirate a truly sinister look in that moment.

"I wish I could say the same of you, Solo." The pirate leaned forward. "You are late in this delivery."

"I ran into some trouble, it's not my fault this spice is so badly wanted." Han defended.

The second occupant of the vehicle descended the vehicle mount and came forward, so that Han was now gazing into the eyes of the largest Chagrian the smuggler had ever seen. Not only was the man tall by his species' standards, he was also quite the body-builder. Though Han had seen this man— Prand Bentix— tussle with men twice his stature and win.

"Says the man who is at Jabba's beck and call." Prand sneered down at Han.

Han met the other's gaze evenly. "So you say, Prand, but I don't see much difference in your own status."

The Chagrian's lip curled upwards, his large, pointed head-tails flushing a deeper blue than the rest of his skin to indicate anger. "Insolent fool. I am Zolar's _friend_. We rule side by side, each of us playing our part."

Han snorted, looking away in disinterest. "You keep telling yourself that, Prand."

The alien swore colorfully and made to grab at Han. Chewbacca snarled a fierce warning, but Zolar chose that moment to cut in. "Prand, let's not be too rough with our _guest_ before we have obtained his... gift to us."

The sarcasm in the man's voice drew Han's brows together. "You will pay me as agreed."

"Will we?" Zolar tilted his head. "You yourself just admitted to not keeping your end of this agreement. Our spice was to remain intact and completely undisturbed."

"We already said that we ran into trouble. It was a set-back, but the spice is all still there!" Han shot back. "You _will_ pay me for my troubles!"

Zolar moved closer by a step. "That will depend greatly on the condition of the spice that is open, Solo."

Prand straightened, bored with the discussion, and snorted at Han in disgust before barking an order. "Unload the spice!"

Instantly the men set to work, and Han, muttering curses under his breatrh, lowered the ramp to the cargo bay so they could begin the laborious task. While the crates were being taken from the freighter to the many cargo-speeders present, Han watched with a wary eye.

Part of him remained tense as he waited to see if Velius would be discovered. Han supposed that with the kid's background, it wasn't likely unless the pirates did a life-form scan.

The moment that thought formed, Han regretted it, because he then caught sight of one female pirate— a white-skinned Twi'lek— tilted her head as if hearing something and began to study the ship intently.

 **00000**

Onboard the _Millennium Falcon_ , Luke straightened instinctively as an undertrained, but clearly Force-sensitive mind brushed like a feather against his. Luke slunk away from it in an effort to hide, but this only seemed to draw more attention onto himself, and he felt the presence shift almost knowingly.

Luke cursed, knowing he'd been discovered. But there was no point in hiding anymore, and so Luke crept noiselessly into the empty corridors from his concealment, keeping to the shadows and remaining invisible even as he reached the landing ramp.

There he stopped, hidden and listening, waiting for something to happen. On habitual reaction, Luke pulled the hood up over his head a little more, hiding his face once more.

 **00000**

Han decided to distract the woman's boss with small-talk. "You should consider going into other forms of business, Zolar."

The man turned his head to regard the human, and then decided to humor him. "Is that so? And what do you suggest?"

"I don't know, there's a lot out there. Maybe animals? Find something others want and sell them to collectors." Han shrugged. "I hear there's good money in it, especially if you come across the correct buyer."

"Indeed," Zolar muttered, though Han could sense the man had actually taken to the idea somewhat. "You have an interesting way about you, Solo, I will give you that. It's not every day the delivery boy sacrifices a profitable idea like that to his employer. You could have kept that for yourself and made a killing, as you've implied."

Han glanced toward the Twi'lek, and found her now using a hand-held device that Han knew had to be a scanner. She was being only slightly discreet, but Han knew that he had to play ignorant if he wanted their third party member to remain hidden. There was always a chance the kid wouldn't be found, even on the scanners.

But that was more wishful thinking on Han's part and he knew it.

"...Solo..."

Han shook his head some and blinked rapidly, coming back to the conversation at hand and only then realizing he had blanked out.

And that Zolar was looking to him expectantly.

 _Stang..._ Han thought, disgusted with himself. _He asked me a question._

To Han's relief, Chewbacca answered for him. [He has been considering alternative career-moves.]

Han forced himself back to full-focus and then Prand spoke up, eyeing Han like a piece of meat. "You know, it's interesting... the Empire seems quite interested in finding the pilot who took the Zabrak to Belkadan. The funny thing is they didn't have the name of said pilot... until recently."

Han frowned at the sudden change in subject. "Why do you care?"

"If we meant to take you in, Han, we'd have already captured you." Zolar dismissed, though he was now eyeing the white Twi'lek openly. "Lucky for you there is no bounty on your head... yet. But when that day comes... we shall see what happens."

[You don't know anything.] Chewbacca growled.

Prand laughed bitingly. "We know plenty. What's gotten into you, Solo? Gone soft, have we? What was worth getting on the Emperor's bad side, huh? The guy you helped is dead, executed for all to see."

Han forced himself not to react. He'd seen that too, but wasn't sure where these two were really heading with this other than to taunt him. These guys were pirates, not bounty hunters. But his comeback was cut off by the arrival of the woman with the scanner.

She glanced at Han with a look in her eyes that Han knew meant trouble. His fingers twitched a hair, itching for his blaster to be in hand. "Zolar, you will be interested to know that Solo seems to have more than just our shipment on his wreck of a ship."

"Hey, the _Falcon_ is the fastest hunk of junk in the galaxy, Sister," Han griped.

"Can it, Solo," Prand shot back.

 **00000**

Luke knew things were heating up: he could feel it, and so he lithely slipped out of the ship. Similar to what he had done before, Luke hid under the ramp for the cargo hold, listening and ready to come to Han's aid.

 **00000**

Zolar, on the other hand, was intently studying the device the woman showed him, and then he straightened. "You know, Solo, I'm not sure what I'm more disappointed in. The fact that you can't seem to keep your word concerning the shipment, or that you thought you could swindle me out of an honest pay by bringing an accomplice along."

Han saw the last of the crates unload and then he and Chewie became the targets of many blasters. "Hey now, we didn't intend to swindle anything!"

"Then why did you hide your friend?" Zolar demanded.

"Because this is what I knew would happen!" Han snapped. "You would overreact, and then you'd deny me the money I earned."

Prand grinned menacingly at Han. "The only thing you have _earned_ here, Solo, is a death wish. And I will be all-too happy to oblige."

Zolar glared at Han, and then shrugged. "Kill them. We have what we needed from them anyway."

Prand's eyes gleamed with a sick light and he lifted the illegal blaster in hand, aiming for Han's heart...

But the blast, though it ricocheted about the clearing like a zap of lightning that had struck too close, never landed. In fact, there seemed to be a sudden accompanying hum that Han almost didn't recognize.

Until he registered what had happened.

Velius, robed back in his dark cloak with hood drawn, stood between the smuggler pair and the pirates, lightsaber aloft as he deflected the deadly shot meant for Han. After a second of stunned silence more shots began to open up and, to Han's complete amazement, the young man deflected each and every one as if it was nothing to him.

It probably wasn't, Han mused, considering his training. Snapping-to, Han finally lifted his weapon and began to return fire over Velius' shoulder. The youth gave a slight start, as if not accustomed to having help in a battle like that. But he was professional enough to not question it.

"Chewie, get the Falcon running!" Han ordered over the din.

The Wookiee took off amidst the battle and soon disappeared into the _Falcon_. Not long after, the cargo hold's ramp lifted. Han took out any pirate he could, though by now most of them had taken cover of some kind.

Han wondered how long Velius could withstand, and hoped it was long enough to get them out of this mess. A particularly daring pirate tried to move around behind the duo but Velius thrust out a hand. A nearby crate shot like a raging bantha into the man, and he fell with a scream.

Han noted one of his comrades stop in shock and that left him exposed, so Han took the shot and the lessened the pirates' numbers by another member. Then, blessedly, the _Falcon's_ engines roared to life and Han tapped Velius on the shoulder.

"Time to go, Kid!" he called.

Velius didn't nod, but he did begin to back-step, all while his blade kept moving fluidly, effortlessly. Han saw the freighter lift some and spin around to get the boarding ramp to their position faster, and Han wasted no time in taking it up.

He turned in time to see Velius wave his hand and saw several pirates knocked off their feet. Han, deciding the kid had things well in hand, turned at that point, and thus missed Velius getting ambushed by Prand.

 **00000**

Luke grunted from the impact as the huge Chagrian bowled him over while he'd been focused on retreating, bowling over the pirates _and_ watching Han's departure also. His lightsaber flew from his grip and Luke felt the air leave his lungs when the pair landed several feet from the _Falcon's_ position.

Luke received a fist to the face before he could react and saw stars. But that was as far as the alien got before Luke began fighting back. Swiftly, and with a moment of gratitude for his intense training, Luke boxed the Chagrian in the ears, stunning him for a heartbeat.

Luke used that distraction to knee his attacker in the groin, and that finally got the other to remove his weight enough so Luke could stand. He scrambled to his feet and then felt a warning in the Force. Ducking, Luke heard the swish of air and felt the movement of it as a beefy arm swung past.

He grabbed the other's arm and twisted. To the pirate's credit, Prand turned with the action so that his wrist did not break.

 **00000**

Han got to the cockpit and was about to congratulate Velius on a job well done when he noticed the kid was absent.

"Hey, where'd you go, Kid?" Han hollered. "This ship is leaving!"

Chewbacca bellowed, pointing hurriedly out the viewport. Han followed his line of sight and promptly swore.

"Chewie, turn her back around and then keep the ship steady!" Han growled, standing and returning to the ramp, but having to wait until the ship full-circle so he could see what was going on now.

 **00000**

Luke backed away from a jab, and then leapt over a swipe to his ankles. But then he received a stomp-kick to the gut when a lucky shot grazed Luke's arm from a trigger-happy pirate, distracting the prince. Luke flew back to collide with a tree trunk, and there he crumpled to the floor, breathing labored as he struggled to remain calm.

The glint of sunlight on shiny metal snagged Luke's attention as the Force sang a clear warning of mortal danger. Prand was charging Luke now like a battle-drunken reek during mating season, a wicked-looking sword in hand that was ready to finish the human off.

The young man reacted purely out of survival instinct. He lifted a hand and calledhis lightsaber to him. It landed in his palm with a comforting _slap_ and in the same instant Prand swung to decapitate Luke, the human rolled between the other's legs, coming up and cutting the Chagrian from waist to shoulder.

Deadly silence reigned for several intense seconds before Prand, gasping his final breaths, fell to the earth in two pieces.

 **00000**

Han was just in time to witness the kid kill Prand, and the smuggler swore colorfully. Then Velius paused as if to catch his breath, and Han took advantage of the other pirates also being frozen in shock.

"Kid, come on!" Han hollered, waving as Velius' head snapped up.

Han was gratified to see the kid come around and then the other was sprinting for Han faster than the smuggler thought should be humanly possible. Han could only guess the other was using the Force, but nor did they have time to dispute it.

As Velius hurtled across the clearing, the pirates started reacting; mostly in anger, though Han focused on the fact that Zolar was darkening in absolute outrage.

Then the young man leapt up the ramp and Han slapped the release to shut it.

"Chewie, get us out of here!" Han called while he raced to join his co-pilot in the cockpit once more.

Velius was right behind him, though to Han's mild consternation, the kid remained standing while they observed pirates scrambling back into the trees or taking shots at the ship. The shields absorbed the smaller blasts, but then something heavier struck and rocked the ship.

 **00000**

Luke felt a warning in the Force and jerked his gaze up just as he spied several antique but retrofitted starfighters now rising from the jungle. "We're going to have company out of here!"

"No kidding!" Han shot back. "Chewie cycle the shields!"

The Wookiee did so and then they were sailing away, though more blasts came at them. Luke maintained his balance and monitored things in the Force, also studying the two in front of him. Han and Chewie were definitely a good piloting team, Luke would give them that.

But though the pair was good, there were still a lot of shots coming at them. "Don't you have..." Luke started to ask before something hit them particularly hard and Luke, despite his grip, was thrown into the seat next to him.

Han swore loudly as alarms went off and something sparked and wailed for attention near the back of the ship.

The man turned to his co-pilot, who was already standing, but Luke beat him to it. Reverting subconsciously into prince-mode, Luke leapt up. "You two fly, _I_ will fix the ship!"

"No way, Kid, no one doctors this ship but m..." Han began to shoot him down but Luke spitted him with a look that caused Han to do a double-take.

"Don't argue, just do it!" Luke barked, and with that he disappeared, racing aft and slipping the covering off the floor where acrid smoke was billowing forth.

With a muffled curse, Luke climbed down and got to work, putting his natural aptitude and long hours of experience to good use.

 **00000**

In the cockpit, and despite the dire situation, Han and Chewie shared a dumbfounded moment. Han glanced back at where Velius had gone and then to his best friend. "Stang, Chewie, he sure knows how to give orders, doesn't he?"

[It would appear there is more to Velius than we know,] Chewbacca said by way of agreement. [But we can worry about that after we survive this...] He added pointedly.

Han shook himself and placed his hands to the controls. "Right. Let's get out of here. What was hit, anyway?"

[The starboard stabilizers. The back end of the _Falcon_ is taking a bad beating too, Han.]

Han spun the _Millennium Falcon_ into a barrel roll once they were high enough up, and then the ship shuddered with strain as something in the vessel groaned ominously. Han swallowed and tried not to think of what it could be even as he shot for open space, where his ship would have far more maneuverability thanks to the lack of mountains present on this world.

Starfighters pursued them and Han glanced at the scopes long enough to get their position. They were split into three wing-pairs, and coming in from port, center rear, and starboard.

Han pushed the _Falcon_ for all she was worth and smiled slightly when the blue of the sky faded to the velvety blackness of space. Han zigged and zagged in an effort to evade the fire coming their way, and Chewbacca returned fire with the gun turrets as best he could.

Finally one fighter's wing was clipped and he fell back to avoid a fiery death.

Han flipped on the ship-wide comm. and spoke to Velius. "How are those repairs coming along?" he asked mildly.

"We won't be getting far, even if we hit hyperspace," came the grim reply. "The left-most engine is overheating because the cooling cores for that one are damaged. And the stabilizers are fluctuating..."

Han swore loudly as yet another blast hit them and made a decision. "Forget the repairs for now. Get into the dorsal turret and start taking out some of those fighters, will ya?"

A moment of silence followed, and then Han heard the clang of a tool dropping. "Will do."

Han waited tensely for the kid to get set, and then Chewbacca got the signal from Velius to let him take control of the top-side turbolasers, and the Wookiee complied. Not moments later Han and Chewie were gratified to hear the steady _thump-thump-thump_ of the _Falcon's_ turret returning fire.

Before the pursuing fighters could scramble, one went up in flames from the unexpected defense and a second took a critical hit to the wings. Han grinned as he and Chewie focused on flying the ship to a point from which they could jump to lightspeed.

[Han, the Cub was right,] Chewbacca warned. [We are losing the port-side engine. We won't make it far before it goes critical.]

Han considered. "We need to land somewhere to affect repairs. What's nearby?"

Chewie pulled up the navicomputer and considered. [What about Elrood?]

"No, too much Imperial traffic there," Han argued as he witnessed Velius take out two more fighters with deceptive grace. "Something with a major city but places to hide the ship..."

[Vestar?] Chewbacca showed Han, and the smuggler nodded.

"That will do. We can land near Port-Esta in the rainforest, but far enough away to not attract instant attention."

[Setting course now.]

Han watched the pirates suffer one more ship's destruction before they finally decided it wasn't worth losing anyone else and falling back. Han didn't dare relax, though, and to be safe he sent an electric burst over the _Falcon's_ hull to fry any possible tracking devices.

This elicited a surprised cry from Velius, but then Han got the signal from Chewie that they could jump. "Hang on!"

With that he pulled on the levers, watching the stars become starlines.


	10. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine:**

Darth Vader, Emperor of the galaxy, paced agitatedly before the enormous window in the throne room. Padmé, after having spent time with him attending to court matters, had retired for the evening.

But Vader couldn't settle. His thoughts were elsewhere, and his soul was troubled.

Luke was late in his return. His son should have been home already, and it wasn't like Luke at all to be late without any notice. And though the rational part of Vader knew it would be best to wait until morning to solidify Luke's absence, the Sith part of him knew something was wrong.

Yes, Luke questioned Vader as well as the man's morals and such, but when sent on a mission, Luke performed his task. And while Vader could count on that at least, his son's inability to adhere to Vader's Sith teachings and way of life continuously appeared to Vader as failure.

Luke was far too soft, to tender-hearted, and Vader feared this would be his son's undoing. And Vader had tried all he knew save to actually poison Luke with Sith-created hssiss poison.

Vader had hoped Luke's Dark Side conversion could be a natural one, but if it took poison to certify Luke's ascension to his Dark birthright, Vader wasn't above doing so. But first Luke would be punished for his failure.

If he had indeed failed. The Emperor couldn't jump to conclusions yet. He had to give Luke the benefit of the doubt this time...

... but if Luke had succeeded in his task, why the delay in coming home to report?

Vader clenched a fist and the thrones nearby began to rattle some in their fastenings. His anger roiled, and in a need to release his anger without damaging his wife's property— she loved her throne— he stalked from the throne room.

He took the swiftest route to his personal training room, where he initiated an intense workout, swiftly losing himself to the pseudo-battle against multiple droids.

 **00000**

While his men scrambled to clean up the mess in the clearing and get their precious cargo into the safe house, Zolar knelt beside his best friend's remains. Rain had begun to fall, a light drizzle not uncommon for the jungle. Tiny rivulets fell from the man's tough hide to pool in the folds of Prand's unmoving skin.

Anger simmered unchecked in the pirate, and his three-fingered hand reached out at some point to close Prand's frozen-open eyelids. And as they shut, Zolar felt his breathing come to a passionate peak. Someone approached from behind to deliver a status report, but Zolar stood in a manner that caused the other to pause apprehensively.

"I want everything we can find on this... _Force-user_. Is he one of the Emperor's Inquisitors or something else?" Zolar turned, gesturing. "And I want his head on my desk. No, scratch that: I want him alive, because I would like to kill him myself for this." He considered. "But if that doesn't work, I will settle for his corpse."

His underling nodded. "Yes sir."

Zolar thinned his lips and gestured for some of his men to take Prand's body so they could give him a proper burial. Swiftly they obeyed while the first man gave his report at last.

"Sir, we lost all but two fighters, and there were six in the ground-based fight who died also." The pirate held out a datapad to Zolar. "On the bright side, the spice is all here and in good condition."

Zolar closed his eyes. "We lost a lot of good men today. They will be missed. Gather the men for a funeral, and then we will make preparations to bring Solo and his friends— mostly that _kid_ — to justice. We _will_ have our vengeance."

 **00000**

Luke remained in the gun turret after their crazed jump to lightspeed, feeling his aching, bloodied body and leaning his head back against the seat's headrest. He hadn't _wanted_ to kill Prand, but the Chagrian hadn't given him a choice. Luke had defended himself from a killing blow: that was all. He had tried to leave without killing, but casualties had still happened. At least this time he hadn't killed for Vader.

The view beyond the transparisteel before him calmed Luke's soul to a degree, and he daresay he felt most at home in a ship... among the stars.

It also allowed him to think unhindered.

Now his mind wandered back to something that had niggled his conscience for days now: whose voice had spoken to him that day of his mission? Who would have such... he didn't quite know the word to use, but _power_ seemed accurate. But who could hold such sway over him as to convince Luke to disobey his father and risk everything for the unknown?

Luke didn't know, only that the voice had left him with such a longing and yet peace that he wished for more. But why?

He remained hidden in his perch for some time before the goings-on's of his new companions filtered up to him from below. Luke contemplated the pair a moment. Before the incident on Delrakkin, he'd been wondering at how the two had managed to make it this far.

The reports he'd been given to read hadn't painted the man and the Wookiee as much more than lucky vermin. Granted, that was probably a biased Imperial opinion... but still. Now Luke knew that Han and Chewbacca were more than they seemed at first glance.

 _Much like this ship_ , Luke mused with a wry twist to his lips.

He took a deep, cleansing breath and let it out slowly before he finally moved to leave the turret, climbing slowly down the ladder and feeling his body protesting the battle even more now. But Luke pushed aside his discomfort and reached the deck.

It wasn't long before he found himself face-to-face with Han. "Listen, Kid, I let it slide during the fight, but don't you ever presume to fix _my_ ship without _my_ permission again, understand?"

Luke blinked, indignation surfacing. "What should I have done, let us die?"

Han placed his hands on his hips. "Chewie was on his way to fix the issue, Junior."

Luke's eyes flashed at the demeaning name. "You really should cut it out with calling me names like that."

Han's eyes narrowed. "Or what? You gonna take me out like Prand?"

Luke flinched, and Han softened some. "By the way, thanks for the save back there. We'd not have gotten off Delrakkin without you."

Luke frowned at the man, trying to puzzle him out. One minute he was angry that Luke had worked on the _Falcon_ — and thus saving their lives— and the next he was thanking Luke for... _saving their lives_.

Finally, sensing the good intentions in the man and the truth in his words, Luke let out an exasperated chuckle. "You sure have a funny way of showing gratitude."

Han's lips twisted into a lopsided grin Luke knew fitted the man perfectly. "I told you the job wouldn't be nice to you; me either."

Luke just rolled his eyes. "Sorry for touching your ship. I will defer to your wisdom next time."

Han slapped Luke on the back. "There ya go, now you're getting it."

Luke shook his head and then Chewbacca popped his head out of the compartment and rumbled off a series of growls at Han. The man lifted a brow and turned to Luke.

"You must really know your ships. Chewie says that whatever you did will get us to Vestar without anymore major problems." Han eyed Luke. "You know, it's not easy to impress him."

Luke offered a cheeky grin. "About as easy as impressing you, right?"

Han snorted. "Don't get cocky, Kid. Didn't I tell you that you were good in a fight? You came in real handy."

[You didn't put it in exactly those words, Han,] Chewie retorted, amused.

"Yes I did," Han argued while pointing a finger in the Wookiee's face. "Just get an inventory of repairs and parts needed, will ya?"

Chewbacca waved a furred hand and disappeared again.

Han steered Luke to the medical station and had him sit on the edge of the makeshift bunk. Luke did so with a sigh, watching as Han retrieved some medical supplies. Then the man began to tend to Luke's injuries and the younger man held still.

After a few moments, Luke spoke softly. "Thanks."

"You're welcome." Han glanced briefly to Luke's face and spoke further as he returned to work. "You know, you're going to be on Zolar's most-wanted list now. Prand and he were best friends."

Luke sighed deeply. "I was only defending myself. The man attacked, and I reacted."

Han nodded. "Yes, but Zolar will only care about revenge. And he won't stop until he sees it through."

Luke closed his eyes. "I'll manage. It's not like I have a choice now."

Han knew the kid was right. Changing topics somewhat, Han touched on something he'd put off as of yet. "By the way, you kind of went into general-mode or something back there."

Luke's eyes opened, and something unreadable flashed through the kid's gaze. "I did?"

Han nodded, eyebrow lifted just-so. "Yeah. It seemed you went from a soldier to an officer in a heartbeat. Almost like you were used to giving orders and expecting them to be followed..."

Luke fought down a wave of panic. Had he really given himself away like that? What would Han do if he discovered Luke's true identity? But if Han had known the truth, the man wouldn't be so non-chalant... would he?

Deciding to play on his hunch, Luke cleared his throat. "I was training to become an officer among the other... Inquisitors. Our training covered many things."

Han studied Luke openly for a time, in which the younger of the two forced himself to remain calm. "I'll bet." Han finally allowed, returning to his doctoring.

 **00000**

Leia sat upon her bed, unable to sleep. Her body was weary, but her mind was alight with concern.

Where was Luke?

Had something happened to him after all?

Had he finally snapped and defected?

Leia wouldn't blame him if that were the case, but she did envy him... until their father caught up with him. Leia knew it would only be a matter of time before that happened. Vader was nothing if not thorough, and when he wanted something, he got it.

She sighed heavily, knowing there was little point in stressing over something she couldn't control. But she couldn't help it.

Fed up with her inability to rest, Leia decided to pass the time productively and so she went to her office and pulled out one of the many reports she still had to read through. Partway through the document, the mention of supplies and ships reminded her of the Rebellion.

Something twinged inside Leia, a wish to do something actually worthwhile for the galaxy. She wanted to know what it was like to be part of an actual family unit... well, at least one that was created by those who fought together in battle.

But unless something happened, Leia didn't foresee that ever occurring. But... maybe she could just _look_ at something the Alliance could get for themselves? It wouldn't hurt, would it?

Biting her lip, Leia glanced toward her door as if she expected it to burst open at the very thought.

Finally her deeply buried rebellious streak won out and she turned to her computer to look through files the Imperials had collected. Droid parts on Malastare... food from Tanaab— that would always be welcome— medical supplies from Thyferra. Leia snorted. Unless there was a shipment the Rebellion could intercept, that would never work. Thyferra was guarded closely since it was the site of the galaxy's bacta production.

Something her parents' government horded jealously.

Leia noted anything that might be of use and saved it in a file named an inane topic to ward off suspicion or set off red flags.

Then her gaze happened upon something interesting: there was a junkyard on Tatooine that might have parts the Alliance could salvage. Her father hated Tatooine more than any other planet, and Leia was certain that the man purposely avoided the dust ball at all costs.

Leia added the information to her file and moved on, working well into the night. She never noticed when she fell asleep at the terminal.

 **00000**

Han and Chewie stood shoulder-to-shoulder in the hatchway, going through the parts they had and trying to figure out what they would need to buy in town and what they could do without.

"We don't have enough type-two wiring," Han decided. "And it looks like the housing for the cooling unit on the port-side engine cracked. We will have to replace that."

[We need coolant too, Han,] Chewbacca pointed out. [And we should probably stock up on food while we're here.]

Han sighed. "Yeah, who knows when we'll run aground on a neutral planet again?"

[And what of the Cub?]

Han glanced at the Wookiee. "What about him?"

[Do we bring him along or leave him with the _Falcon_?] Chewie asked.

"Ah," Han murmured, considering. "We don't need all three of us going out. And the trek to town and back will take all day."

Chewie turned a dubious stare on his friend. [You trust the Cub enough already with your ship?]

Han gave the Wookiee a sour look. "Where is he going to go? The ship won't go far even if he gets it off the ground."

Chewbacca huffed softly, but conceded the point. The pair spent another minute verifying inventory and then walked out to find Velius sitting silently in the lobby. His eyes were closed but Han didn't think he was sleeping with the straight-backed pose he maintained.

"Hey Kid." Han called.

"Yes?" Velius asked calmly while maintaining his pose.

"Chewie and Me are going into town, but we need you to stay behind." Han ordered. "Can you handle that?"

The young man's eyes fluttered open at that, and he gave Han a small smile. "I think I can. How long will you be gone?"

"If all goes well, twenty four standard hours," Han replied. "Maybe two days if things get iffy."

The other nodded. "Alright. Am I allowed to work on anything while you're gone?"

"Yeah, try relaxing." Han turned toward the ramp, slinging a backpack onto his shoulders as he did so. "It'll be good for ya."

He didn't catch the surprised look on the other's face, but he did hear a shuffle of seat-cushions as Velius shifted. "Okay then. Be careful."

Han grinned lopsidedly over his shoulder. "Hey... it's me!"


	11. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten:**

As the sun began its rise over the ecumenopolis known as Coruscant, Padmé lay in bed. She'd awakened in the early hours of the night after a disturbing dream in which Leia had become more beautiful and loved than Padmé. Now she rolled something around in her head that she had been contemplating for some hours now, and the more she turned the prospect around in her mind— and the multiple benefits it would also generate— the more she was taken with it.

Yes... her plan would work beautifully, and Leia wouldn't be the wiser...

Now Padmé only had to select the proper girl for the job. Someone fresh; someone Leia wouldn't suspect would be working for Padmé in reality. There was no way any of Padmé's known handmaidens would work: Leia would discern instantly not to trust the women.

But who...

Then Padmé struck gold. There were a trio of young women in training for handmaiden positions already, and they were almost done with their tutoring. She would select the most... unassuming of the three for the task. Or perhaps the best actress?

Padmé would need to give the thought more consideration, but that could wait until she'd had the chance to see those young ladies for herself. A pleased smile curving her lips, Padmé finally rose and prepared to greet the day.

 **00000**

It had been three hours since Han and Chewbacca had left, and the ship was far too quiet for Luke's taste. He had already run through every exercise he knew... some of them twice, but now he had nothing with which to occupy himself since Han had forbidden Luke touch so much as a bolt on the ship with the intention of 'fixing' something.

Luke snorted softly at that. Fix... more like add to the rat's nest this ship already was under all the decking and bulkheads.

It was clear this ship was so modified that only the two who lived on it could understand it. Luke had barely managed in the escape, and that had been an emergency. He hadn't exactly had time to really look at it all save to notice it was a lost cause.

If Vader had seen the way this ship was held together, he'd have instantly demanded the ship be scraped since it was essentially a flying hazard. The thought of his father wiped the smile from Luke's face and he grew solemn again.

That led to his feeling caged, and whenever that happened he needed to walk the tension off. And the chance to do that in fresh air— and real nature, not the metal and stone forest of skyscrapers on Coruscant— was too much to pass up.

But he couldn't just leave the ramp down...

Luke recalled seeing a top hatch while heading for the gun turret before and chose to use that as his access point. After grabbing a backpack and water, Luke exited the _Falcon_. He set a Force-based marker on the ship so he could find it again when he needed to return, and then closed the top hatch but didn't lock it.

He paused, taking a deep breath of the moist air and looking all around him. Where to begin?

Oddly enough, he felt the slightest pull west and, with nothing else to go off of, Luke decided to do just that. He checked his weapons just in case and then jumped down from the ship to walk into the trees.

It didn't take long for Luke to lose himself to the abundance of life all around him. Avians of all colors and sizes crossed his path in the air as he wandered, and Luke allowed himself to observe all the creatures and plants in an effort to keep his mind off of his troubles.

He kept walking, deeper into the rainforest and unafraid of the wildlife. As he rounded a collection of giant boulders Luke stumbled across a herd of herbivores of some sort. The entire group lifted their heads at his abrupt appearance and Luke froze in shock himself, not daring to move lest he start a panic.

These creatures were about the size of an eopie from Tatooine, though their fur was a ruddy reddish brown. Darker colored stripes ran down their bodies to no doubt act as camouflage, and their refined heads gazed at him with black eyes. There were a few males in the group judging by the intricate antlers they adorned, though Luke was swift to find the patriarch from his much more pronounced set.

And indeed this dominant male eyed Luke suspiciously before he trumpeted and the herd broke into a gallop to disappear into the forest. Once the ground stopped rumbling from the combined hoof-power, Luke moved onward.

 **00000**

"I see you had trouble sleeping last night also."

Leia jerked upright, looking around in a disoriented panic for a few heartbeats before she registered who stood before her desk. Leia blinked a few times, wondering when exactly she'd drifted off, though judging by her sore neck and back, she had been asleep for a few hours at least.

"Father?" Leia asked groggily, doing her best to wake up further. Her glance happened upon the screen of the computer and she was gratified to find it had put itself to sleep. Recalling her searching last night, she didn't want to bear the wrath of her father if he suspected anything.

Looking back, she should have been far more careful about doing such a search here in the Imperial Palace.

"Have you heard anything from your brother?" Darth Vader inquired.

The query brought Leia back to sudden full awareness, and she looked up to her father's blue eyes. "No, I haven't," she answered. "Have you?"

The man's eyebrow lifted. "If I knew, would I be here asking _you_?"

Leia winced. "No. Forgive me, Father."

"You haven't had _any_ contact from Luke since he left?" Vader went on, ignoring her apology.

"No." Leia shook her head.

Vader eyed her. "Did he give you any indication of abandoning his post before he left?"

Leia frowned, but her gut was turning into a lump of durasteel. "No."

Her father's head turned somewhat, and she felt a mental nudge from him, and she held her shields steady. Vader still pressed her, however, and Leia wondered if her political mask wasn't solid.

"You don't sound especially certain of that fact, Leia." Vader remarked.

"I..." Leia paused, thinking, and knowing that act alone solidified her father's suspicion. She didn't want to give Luke away... but at the same time, maybe she could give half-truths... she had to try and maintain some semblance of a relationship with the man before her. "He was upset after the execution, yes. He was... well, bothered by it."

Leia saw the disappointment clearly written on Vader's face and her heart went out to her twin. "Father, he wasn't expecting you to make our... abilities public like that." She tried to reason. "You've always kept that under wraps."

"Luke should have been ready for anything," Vader growled. "It was part of your training, was it not, Daughter?"

Leia used her political training to keep from flinching outwardly. "Yes, it was."

"He is weak, and now he has abandoned his post." Vader paused a fraction of a second, then, "he's abandoned this family."

Leia didn't reply verbally, but the thought flickered through her mind of ' _what family?'_

Thankfully her father seemed to not have caught the notion, and Leia was left to watching him turn.

"I do hope you will not be so foolish as your brother, Leia," the man said as he began to leave. "You haven't as of yet disappointed me as Luke has."

Leia opened her mouth... shut it again. What was to be said to something like that?

"Good day, Daughter." Vader stated.

"Thank you... Father," Leia responded softly, though the door was already closed behind him.

 **00000**

Luke had lost track of definite time, though he could tell by the position of the sun that it was late afternoon. He was also quite deep into the forest, and for quite some time he'd come to feel like he was being watched.

But so far nothing had jumped out at him as the reason. Sensing no imminent threat, Luke surmised that it was probably some creature trailing him.

Luke paused on an outcropping of rock to take a swig from his water skin. As his head tilted back, his gaze happened to fall upon something odd in the canopy. Pausing in his drink, Luke squinted in an effort to see it better.

Indeed there was something... anomalous about a gigantic trio of trees a few yards away. Replacing the water container to his belt, Luke strode off in the direction of his newfound irregularity. Luke studied it from the ground for a while before the shape became something he could recognize: a ship.

Or rather, what was left of one.

Surprised, Luke pursed his lips... and then sought for a way to climb up. He found some thick vines that wrapped about the trunk of the tree and tested their strength. They held once he put all his weight on them and so he climbed them like a rope-ladder. The climb was tedious since the tree was so large, but Luke relished the challenge. He encountered a bright blue bird midway and it flew off with an indignant squawk. Luke eyed the vast, dense canopy and wondered if this craft had been discovered before.

But the closer to it he came, the less that sounded plausible. The ship looked like it hadn't been touched by sentient hands in millennia. It was rusted through in many places, with gaping holes filled in by vegetation and even a nest of tiny monkeys that scattered away from him as he approached.

Luke paused once he was close enough to see the vessel better, and now that he could make it out from up close he whistled in awe. The ship before him was something he never thought he would see in reality: an Old Republic-era space vessel.

The architecture was elegant as befitted most of the ship designs of that timeframe, and Luke marveled at it for a short time. He followed the remains of the once-perfect curves as the hull tapered beautifully into a nose that would cut through space like a spiral seashell.

Luke was reminded of his position clinging to vines when one of the monkeys decided to investigate him closer. Luke smiled gently at the creature and moved closer to the ship. He gingerly placed one foot inside what had once been an entryway. The ramp had long-since been lost, and the interior of the ship was dark while pockmarked by light via the holes in its hull.

When the ship didn't shift under his added weight, he considered. Then he placed his other foot down and, without releasing his handhold on the vines still, tested the stability of the ship once more. Nothing happened yet again.

Luke finally released the vines and stood completely in the ship. Now that he was in the shadows, his eyesight began compensating, allowing him to see in the gloom better. A corridor led left and Luke could see a lobby. When he cautiously made his way that direction, Luke could see tiny segments of ancient red paint still on whatever part of the walls weren't rusted or overgrown.

Seats that had once been plush and comfortable were either twisted, broken off, or the cushions were completely rotted through, leaving only tattered remains of fabric that was fraught with mildew.

A computer terminal stared back at him, showing Luke his distorted reflection in its broken glass. The parts were beyond salvageable, but Luke didn't mind.

He moved though the ship with extreme caution, feeling as though he was on tour of a piece of history. And in reality, he was, even if it wasn't very well preserved. Animal droppings littered the floor and Luke glanced inside each cabin until he came to the master suite.

There he paused, eyeing one wall with a critical eye. If he didn't know any better, he'd say that wall looked almost too-well preserved. Head tilted in indecision, Luke eyed it for long minutes, and then used the Force to check for danger. When nothing lit up his senses with the bitter taste of danger, Luke approached what he saw could be a closet.

He felt along the wall with gentle fingers until he found a release. The panel cracked open to reveal a somewhat disappointing display. What he'd thought would be an interesting find turned out to be nothing more than a junk pile.

Although, Luke noted as he stared at it a bit more out of sheer curiosity, there seemed to be only mechanical components inside. Clearly someone loved to tinker.

Feeling an unforeseen spark of kinship with the owner of this ship in that regards, Luke knelt before the heap, and only then noticed something that gave him pause. He leaned a bit closer and blinked to find double-slit eye sockets gazing up at him from an odd angle. Carefully moving some of the surrounding mechanics away, Luke unearthed a narrow, conical droid head.

Interest piqued far more now, Luke dug around the head some more, but found it ended in a narrow neck piece. Pursing his lips, Luke carefully picked up the entire assembly, turning it about in his hands to inspect it closely.

The innards were a mess and most of the wires corroded, but the body-casing of this part was actually— surprisingly— in pretty good shape. After a further minute of contemplation, Luke slung his pack off and placed the part into it. He carefully sifted through the remainder of the pile and came up with a few more odd appendages, though he still lacked a main body piece. Luke pocketed anything that looked useful and when he stood, the backpack was far heaver than when he'd begun.

He questioned his choice to add to his weight, wondering if his new load would affect the ancient craft any. But apparently it was held fast by the vines and boughs upon which it rested, because the vessel it didn't so much as twitch.

Luke finished looking at the rest of the ship just for the sake of seeing it all before he felt sated. He turned to leave and as he reached the entrance he'd used the air about him shifted.

Luke froze, tense and ready for anything even as he frowned uncertainly.

 _Luke..._

He gasped. There was that voice again! The one from the day he'd tried to kill Han! Luke whirled, eyes searching almost frantically before he felt the air shift again and he was overcome with a sense of weightlessness.

Luke reeled for a moment, especially when he stopped moving. While he was regaining his balance, the voice came again, only it was right beside him.

"Luke."

Again Luke flipped around, and his eyes widened some to see a middle-aged woman with kind features gazing at him. She had skin that looked as if it had spent all its days under a desert sun and dark hair pulled into a simple bun. A soft smile painted her lips, and Luke had the oddest sense of déjà vu upon seeing it.

"Hello Luke," the woman said quietly.

Luke frowned, looking her up and down to see her more clearly. "Who are you? And how do you know me?"

Her smile turned sad. "You wouldn't know me, would you? I'm seldom a topic to be discussed. Though I suppose it's my little boy's way of avoiding the pain."

Luke tried to ignore his growing confusion, even as he recognized that this was a vision of some sort. "What do you want with me?"

"To help you... and in turn ask for your assistance." The woman looked down for a moment. "Your destiny will not be an easy one, Luke, but it is one that the galaxy desperately needs."

"I..." Luke fumbled. "Destiny? How would you know anything about me? And _who are you_?"

She stepped closer. "Someone who loves you very much, even though we never met in the flesh. And my son never speaks of me because he still mourns me... or at least, he did." She closed her eyes, and Luke was surprised to see a teardrop leak from between her lashes. "I have tried to reach him myself, but I fear my son is beyond listening to me."

Luke opened his mouth... and then snapped it shut. Those eyes... he knew them. They were the exact shade of his own blue gaze. And that cleft chin, the set of the eyes... the softened features.

A possibility struck Luke like a blow to the gut and his heart fluttered in hope. And here he'd thought he only got his softened facial features from his mother...

" _Grandmother_?" Luke breathed. "Grandmother Shmi?"

He had only ever heard of her briefly when he'd been a toddler, and his father was willing to briefly indulge his little ones' questions about where Vader had come from.

The spirit of Shmi Skywalker smiled warmly, dipping her head. "Yes, Luke."

The teenager gaped, unable to help it before he caught himself and coughed, feeling somewhat sheepish. "Grandmother..." he whispered.

Shmi stepped forward, her fingers lifting to trace a strand of Luke's hair. The young man closed his eyes and allowed himself to pretend he could actually feel her touch. "My handsome grandson."

He smiled gently back at her, and then she dropped her hand, expression darkening with sorrow once more. Something flitted across her face, and her next words threw Luke for a loop. "My sweet Luke Skywalker."

Luke frowned. "Skywalker?"

"Yes. That is your true name... and Anakin's. He may be Vader now, but he was born Anakin Skywalker, and he will always be my son. You are a Skywalker, Luke. That is not something to be ashamed of."

Luke turned that around in his head for a few moments before the woman before him spoke again.

"I don't have much more time, so I will cut to the chase, Luke." Shmi sighed. "Please stay strong, Luke. Despite how hard things may get. Anakin _does_ love you and Leia; he's just... lost himself. I have tried to speak to him like this, but he won't let me in."

Luke shifted uncomfortably, looking down sadly. "Father doesn't love me, Grandmother. I'm a disappointment to him, that's all."

Shmi shook her head. "Maybe he thinks that. But you need to trust in the Force no matter what. Never give up, and always remember that you are worthwhile. You cannot live in constant fear of Darth Vader."

Luke grimaced. "Forgive me, Grandmother, but I have every reason to fear him. But I cannot keep killing for him like I was."

"And that makes all the difference," Shmi returned, touching his chin. "Your strength of will is more than you give yourself credit for. It may take time to find yourself, but when you do, _never_ let it go."

Shmi looked over her shoulder as if she'd heard something. "I'm out of time now, Luke. I am using borrowed Force energy to communicate with you. I love you, sweet boy."

Luke's throat closed and his eyes misted. How long had it been since someone other than Leia had said those words to him and meant it?

"I love you too, Grandmother," Luke whispered. "I will do my best... but I'm still frightened."

"Be brave!" her voice faded as she swiftly disappeared, and Luke found himself reaching for her, wanting just a few more seconds.

"Wait!"

But then the world shifted and dissolved around him again and Luke found himself back in the antiquated ship. For a few disorienting moments, Luke remained frozen in place, unable to do anything.

Eventually he recognized moisture on his cheeks, and realized he was weeping. His throat was tight, and Luke had to take several minutes to get a hold of himself.

His grandmother... he had seen and spoken to her! What a precious gift he'd been given from the Force! His tears were a mixture of joy at the meeting— _he now had a face and voice to go with her name!_ — and sorrow at the departure.

But there was nothing to be done about it by standing there like a lost cub, so Luke wiped his eyes dry and began the return to ground. It was almost full night now, and Luke grimaced, not having realized how long he'd been up in the tree tops.

As Luke began the trek back to the _Falcon_ , he contemplated all he'd heard. Shmi had been trying to help her son, but she'd said he was unreachable. Well, Luke knew how that went. But maybe Luke could reach his father?

He could only hope. However, he would also be treading dangerous waters if he brought up Shmi. She was the only topic more taboo than the Jedi with Vader, and Luke didn't know if he wanted to face the certain wrath that would spark in his father.

Luke's musings were cut short when the feeling of being watched returned and he froze when a twig snapped to his right. Luke looked in that direction, eyes searching... and then a leaf fluttered down from a bough, and Luke's gaze travelled upwards.

There, sitting in a nearby tree was a large feline with scales darker than a black hole. Its amethyst eyes were locked onto Luke, and he swallowed when the giant cat-like creature bounded gracefully down.

When it straightened, it came up to Luke's chest, and he felt a flicker of fear. However, Luke pushed it aside and instead carefully lifted a palm. Opening himself to the Force, Luke stood tall and firm, yet did his best to appear non-threatening.

"Easy there," Luke said in a soothing voice. "I'm not here to cause trouble. Let me go please."

The feline hissed at Luke, and the young man had to resist the strong urge to back away. Instead he calmed his mind and voice. "We're friends here; I'm not here to harm you."

The animal flattened its ears and approached still, clearly eager to have him for supper. Luke delved deeper into the Force and touched the creature's mind.

"Stop." He commanded.

The animal actually did pause, and Luke felt its surprise mirror his own at that. Purple eyes met blue, and Luke maintained his connection with the creature.

"Leave me be. I am not food, and we don't need to be enemies." Luke softened his voice some. "Please..."

The creature growled lowly, but lifted its head and seemed to consider. Hunger gnawed at it's belly, and Luke wondered when it had last eaten.

Recalling the herbivores from before, Luke had a thought. "I can help you get food, if you will let me."

Rounded ears perked up at that, and the scaly feline finally backed up some, no longer hissing in a show of acceptance. Luke smiled softly at the animal and made to turn. That was when the calls of several young cubs came to his ears, and Luke turned to see five smaller sets of violet orbs gazing at him.

Now Luke understood, and he looked upon the feline with new eyes. A mother stood before him, and Luke realized only then he had unknowingly wandered into her territory. She was hungry, yes, but she also had a litter to feed... not to mention protect.

"I am sorry for intruding; I didn't know you had a family." Luke apologized, and the feline tilted her head.

Luke closed his eyes and located the herd of creatures he intended for the family of cats and gestured to the animal to follow him. She called to her cubs and they followed also, though remained steadfastly behind their mother.

Once he'd reached the target's location, Luke urged the cat mother to wait and then pointed to the herd visible through the trees. The feline eyed them a moment and then turned her head to Luke. Something in her body language chanced and she purred, nuzzling him gently.

Luke gingerly stroked the fur of her head and then the feline pulled away, beginning to stalk her prey.

Luke took that as his cue and left her to it. Partway back to the _Falcon_ , he heard the trumpeting of the herbivores and the death cries of one. Then there was silence, and Luke knew the cat had hunted successfully.


	12. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven:**

Padmé sat unobserved in a balcony seat overlooking the room in which the three trainees were currently attending their class. The three young women Padmé had been unknowingly having an interview all morning.

The black-haired girl was quick and calm, but she lacked the finesse Padmé knew would be useful. She was too brash overall, and not the right choice.

Then there was the blonde, who though she was obviously intelligent and swift to learn, was also far too quiet. She observed, but when asked a question was not quick or sure enough to answer in a timely fashion. Again, not a fit for Padmé's plans.

The third girl on the other hand... Padmé was drawn to her more and more with each successive task presented to her. She was an odd girl, certainly, with her apple-red hair and deeply green eyes. In Padmé's mind she wasn't all that beautiful, but what the girl lacked in looks she more than made up for in brawn and brains.

Because though she was shorter and more unassuming than her classmates, there was just something about her that caused her to be tough enough to handle stress.

She had a perfect gambler's face, Padmé had finally decided. She got stressed and frightened like the other girls, but unlike her classmates, this red head could work it out independently and without letting fear hamper her to the point of failure.

She answered questions when asked, even if the responses were wrong. And, Padmé noted, if she was corrected she took it in stride. She did her tasks quietly, efficiently and with just a touch of her own personality subtly thrown in to the mix to make her less boring than her counterparts.

Padmé made her decision and left the balcony to wait by the door for the girls to come out. On a whim, she hid herself in a doorway and waited for the small group to pass her by. The black and blond haired girls moved by first, then the instructor, and Padmé waited a few more minutes to be presented with the view of the red head finally coming out also.

Padmé stepped out behind her and spoke to the girl's back. "That was pretty impressive."

The girl whirled, eyes going wide once they landed upon her Empress. The young woman instantly bowed low, face towards the floor. "Your Highness."

Padmé walked around the stooped figure without acknowledging her for the moment, studying her up close. The girl remained in her bowed position since she'd not been given permission to rise, and Padmé let her stay that way.

"How ever did you end up in my handmaiden program?" Padmé wondered aloud after a time, unimpressed with this girl's appearance. This close, she was decidedly... plain, boring.

"I... applied, Majesty," the girl replied, confused. Only after she had spoken did she realize that the question had been rhetorical, and she dipped slightly lower. "My apologies Majesty, I spoke out of turn."

"Yes." Padmé sniffed. "Rise."

The girl did so and kept her gaze just below Padmé's as was the rule for handmaidens. Only when given permission to do so were they allowed to look their Empress in the eye.

"What is your name?" Padmé finally asked.

"Damielle Krin, Majesty." The girl briefly dipped her head again.

"And you are from..."

"Ah, I was born and raised on Tatooine, Milady," Damielle replied, taken aback somewhat.

"Tatooine?" Padmé sniffed in disdain. "Well, at least your taste in locations has improved."

Something flashed across the young lady's face and Padmé lifted a brow, even as Damielle braved speaking her next words. "Did you need something, Your Highness?"

Padmé's mood cooled some, but she willed away her anger in exchange for a greater goal. "Consider yourself accepted into the program." Damielle's surprise was palpable, and Padmé continued before the girl could ask inane questions. "Congratulations: you've just graduated. Come with me, I have a job for you."

Damielle, to her credit, only sputtered for a few seconds before she regrouped and fell in line. "Yes, Your Majesty."

They passed her classmates on the way out, both of which allowed their jaws to drop upon seeing Damielle with the Empress, in line like an accepted handmaiden should be. Padmé ignored the other girls, though Damielle exchanged a look with them before the duo was out of view.

Padmé led Damielle to a waiting speeder and gestured for her to be seated for the ride home. Damielle rode with Padmé in silence, and once they arrived, Padmé motioned to one of her own handmaidens.

"Prepare her for my daughter," Padmé instructed. "But find clothing different from what I have you wear. My handmaidens will not be confused with anyone else's." Padmé considered. "Have her wear something... green."

"Yes, Milady," the older handmaiden answered, bowing low as she took the red head back to the servants' quarters to prepare her accordingly.

 **00000**

Damielle couldn't help but let her eyes roam just a little as she took in the personal quarters of the Empress herself. They were lavish in every sense of the word, and though the servants' areas weren't nearly as ornate, they weren't plain either. It was probably to keep up with the aesthetic appearances, and not detract from the Empress's home. Everyone knew Empress Vader took great pride in appearances, and made every effort to flaunt her wealth and beauty.

"What does she want me for, again?" Damielle asked the woman before her. "The Empress doesn't seem to like me all that well, and Princess Leia has never been known to use handmaidens."

"The Empress has her reasons, I am sure," was the reply. "You will do best to simply go along with whatever she asks of you."

The woman gestured to a refresher and Damielle understood she was to clean up. She dutifully stripped down and stepped into the shower to begin cleaning up. She was handed supplies to use and did so without question, knowing that she was being prepared for her assignment to Princess Leia.

Empress Vader would not present an unworthy handmaiden to her daughter, Damielle knew.

Once she was done washing up, Damielle stood in the refresher to dry off while the other sized her up.

"What is your name?" Damielle asked to fill in the silence and help calm her nerves.

"I am Irmé," was the response.

"How long have you worked for Her Majesty?"

"Long enough to know she doesn't like it when we dawdle," Irmé answered pointedly. "The Lady does not like to be kept waiting."

Damielle dipped her head submissively and allowed the other to begin dressing her up. Her gown was simple but elegant, and in a shade of green that resembled the skin of a cactus. It had a few white faded accents along the sleeves and hem, but was otherwise unadorned.

Next, her hair was brushed and styled for her into a braid that was then wrapped about the crown of her head and pinned in place. Then the girl had makeup applied and then a spritz of perfume to her wrist.

Damielle hated the scent but knew better than to object, so she held her tongue. Finally, simple heels were given to her to wear and Damielle was allowed to view herself in a mirror. She thought she could have done without the body spray, but other than that the look wasn't too bad. She supposed it could have been worse. Far worse.

Finally, Irmé led Damielle back to where the Empress had made herself comfortable. They ended up in a garden room with a few fancy pieces of furniture. And, in one spit of lush grass, Empress Vader lounged on an oversized Kuati fainting couch flush with pillows and silken blankets.

Damielle also noted with some discomfort that the Empress had changed from her public attire into what the redhead could only describe as lingerie. It did nothing to hide the Empress's figure, and in Damielle's opinion showed way too much leg and cleavage, but who was she to correct the woman before her?

Irmé stooped deeply into a gesture of subservience. "The young lady has been prepared, per your orders, Milady. Do you require anything else?"

"No, you are dismissed Irmé." Lady Vader replied, and Damielle was impressed to see the Empress actually give the handmaiden a faint smile.

Irmé bowed out silently, leaving the newcomer alone with her Empress.

Padmé eyed Damielle openly from her vantage point before she made a circling motion. Damielle dutifully turned in a slow circle, and the Padmé nodded.

"You will do nicely." She picked up a piece of fruit from a tray and nibbled on it at her leisure. While she did so she eyed Damielle like one would a toy, causing the teenager to want to shift, but she held her ground.

Finally, to Damielle's relief, the woman spoke. "You must be wondering why I chose you from the program early. And why you of the three that were there?"

Damielle inclined her head. "Yes, Majesty."

Padmé set the fruit hull down and washed her hand in a small bowl of water before sitting up enough to let the fabric of her lingerie shift. Damielle resolutely kept her gaze on the woman's chin, willing herself not to view the Empress in such a fashion.

"You will serve Leia as you would me: faithfully and without question... but you will report to me on my daughter's activities that seem... out of place." Padmé leaned forward. "Do you understand your task?"

Damielle frowned some. "I... am to spy on her for you, Milady?"

Padmé's lips curved just so. "Spy is such a... harsh word. Let's call it... helping a concerned mother keep an eye on her child."

Damielle's frown deepened. "If you wish it, Milady... but am I looking for anything specific?"

Padmé sat back. "She is forming a... well, a bond with an old colleague of mine named Bail Organa. I want you to tell me how that progresses, since they won't act like themselves if I am around. I want to know how deep their relationship goes."

Damielle didn't understand why the woman wanted this, but she didn't argue. "Yes, Your Majesty."

"Also report to me of anything that seems wrong to you," Padmé instructed further. " _I_ will delegate their importance. I want weekly reports sent to my personal datapad— I will give you the code on a corresponding datapad— unless something happens that will need immediate attention: I want that instantly."

Damielle bowed. "As you wish."

"And I don't need to tell you that this must not be made known to Leia under any circumstances," Padmé said leadingly.

Heeding the warning, the teenager bowed lower. "I will obey Majesty."

"Good." Padmé finally stood and gestured. "Wait in the servant's quarters for me to fetch you, and then we shall present you to my daughter."

 **00000**

When Luke returned to the _Millennium Falcon_ it was to find Han and Chewbacca still hadn't returned. Shrugging, Luke let himself back in via the top hatch and sealed it behind him. He then moved to an empty spot in the cargo hold and carefully laid out his selected items from the shipwreck.

The head was his favorite piece, but he'd managed to find a few other things from the pile. Some of which looked like appendages of some sort, though Luke wasn't certain if he would use them yet. He'd been formulating an idea on the walk back to the ship after leaving the family of cats to their hunt.

He planned to build himself a droid, and hopefully he could get the mechanical being to have a personality not unlike his father's astromech Artoo-Detoo. Choosing to begin with the headpiece, Luke carefully started removing the innards.

As he worked, he made two piles: one of parts that were garbage and unsalvageable, and another of things that just might still be useful. And if some of those things turned out not to be needed for his droid project, then perhaps they could be used to trade for other components at a scrap yard.

Luke finished gutting the head and then turned it over in his hands, pursing his lips. This style of droid wasn't very common anymore, and indeed, Luke had rarely seen such a head on any droid not meant solely for combat.

After a bit more inspection, Luke set the head down and rose to gather a few supplies. When he returned to the hold, he settled down and began cleaning the head that he had just gutted, welcoming the grunt-work.

Time passed without notice for the young man, and as the headpiece was thoroughly cleansed of years of grime and filth, it began to shine dully with a slightly golden hue, though nowhere near as garish as See-Threepio's golden finish.

No, this droid's head seemed more of a white-gold with hints of yellow, and Luke liked it. A lot.

Feeling lighter in spirit than he had in some time, Luke smiled gently and continued to process his collection of ancient parts.

 **00000**

"It's been good to see you again today, Leia," Bail said as the pair delved into their late lunches.

It had been a long morning in the Senate, and Bail was pleased with the progress Leia had made in her efforts to become a full-time politician. She already was one by nature, Bail knew, but it didn't hurt to have the formal education to go with the talent.

And, since it was the final day of the work week, and there were no more scheduled meetings for the day, Bail had treated Leia to lunch at a café near the Senate building. Of course, the Princess' entourage of guards was present, including the twins' head of security, Sergeant Quane.

The man sat a respectful distance away, but the surrounding tables were all vacant per the man's orders. No one would get near the princess without Quane's consent. Bail had offered to get the man something to eat, but he'd declined, stating he was not going to loosen his attention while the princess was out in public like this.

Leia spoke, bringing Bail back to the present. "It's always nice to be among friends, Bail. Thank you for this, by the way."

Bail smiled softly. "Of course. How much longer do you have to go in your internship?"

"Just a few more months, really," Leia replied after swallowing her current bite. She followed it with a swig of her water. "Of course, I need my mother's stamp of approval," she added somewhat sourly. "Which we both know won't come easily."

Bail touched her hand lightly from across the table, and he felt Quane's eyes on him intently, though it didn't bother the senator. "Leia, just think of how much experience you will already have once the Empress announces you to be a senator. This isn't just an internship; you are gaining life experience that will serve you well in years to come. One day you may look back and thank her for being so hard on you now. It's her way of taking care of you in that aspect."

Leia eyed their hands, and then met his gaze. "Yes, I suppose you're right. And you would know, wouldn't you?"

Bail lifted a brow.

"How is Winter doing?" Leia asked, returning to her meal.

Bail felt comprehension dawn and he smiled to think of his adopted daughter Winter. She wasn't actually his daughter, but he had taken her under his care when her father— a good friend of Bail's— had passed away, leaving Winter without a home or family. Either way, Bail loved the white-haired young woman like a daughter, and he didn't care about titles.

Just like he felt about Leia. He loved her like a daughter, though he was careful not to show that too much, lest he— and Leia by extension— get in trouble for that. Bail didn't want Padmé to get jealous more-so than he suspected she already was.

He was no fool: he'd watched Padmé come into her own during the days of the Republic, had spent years with her in the Senate and as her friend. He knew how to read the woman, and he knew she was envious of Bail and Leia's friendship.

"Winter is just about ready to start her own internship, now that she has found someone willing to take her on in the Senate." Bail answered the Princess' inquiry.

"I miss seeing her," Leia admitted. "It's nice to have someone my age who isn't a total snob in the Senate."

Bail smiled, a low chuckle escaping him. "How eloquently put."

Leia's lips quirked, and there was a sparkle in her eye born from the fact that she'd gotten him to laugh. It warmed Bail, to see her happy for even a short time.

"You were thinking it too, admit it," Leia quipped. "I was just saying it."

Bail shook his head somewhat. "You are right; there are those who think far too highly of themselves. The youth of the Imperial families especially seem too..." he paused, searching for the right word.

"Entitled?" Leia supplied bluntly. "Spoiled? Selfish?"

Bail blinked, taken aback by her rather feisty and outspoken nature today, but he really shouldn't have been. Leia had always spoken her mind when the young lady felt the need to, and if she felt like she wouldn't be. Leia would make a great politician and leader because of that strength of character. Leia didn't mince words when she needed to get a point across. But despite those facets, the princess seemed to be in rare form today for whatever reason.

"You took the words right out of my mouth," Bail finally relented, though he began to steer the conversation elsewhere after that. "Have you considered going to the summer camp for young politicians they hold annually on Borleias?"

Leia nodded. "I have, and I _think_ I got the green light to go... with a few security measures of course."

"Of course. It will be an excellent opportunity for you," Bail said warmly. "Winter will be going also, so maybe you two will get the chance to room together?"

Leia's face visibly brightened. "I'd really like that, Bail, thank you."

Bail smiled. "Then we will do all we can to make that happen."

Out of the corner of his eye, Bail spied Quane touch a finger to his ear, dipping his head just-so and listening to something before he nodded. He then stood and began shooing other patrons out of the restaurant.

Leia saw this and frowned. "Sergeant, what's going on?"

"Your mother is on her way here, Princess," Quane answered after removing another group. "I am simply clearing the place for her safety."

Leia thinned her lips, looking down at the remains of her meal. "More like her ego," she muttered.

Bail touched her hand gently once more, and Leia managed a slight smile for him, but her happy aura from earlier was banished now. Bail felt for her, but knew he couldn't interfere so he held his tongue, simply remaining with Leia until he was dismissed by either her or the Empress.

Minutes later a trio of the Emperor and Empress' personal guards entered the restaurant, stopping to stand at attention as the Empress walked in from the balcony entrance.

Bail rose from his seat and bowed to the woman. "Your Highness."

"Bail." Padmé returned blandly, though her attention focused on the brunette still sitting at the table for a moment, and then Padmé looked back to the dark-haired man. "You don't mind if I join the two of you, do you?"

Bail knew full well he had no authority to deny her, but he answered anyway, playing her game for Leia's sake. "Not at all, Milady."

Padmé lifted her chin and seated herself to Leia's right, with Bail resuming his chair after helping the woman scoot in. Leia looked up from her plate.

"Mother," she greeted by rote, though there was no warmth in her tone.

Padmé narrowed her eyes, but didn't call her daughter on the lack of enthusiasm. Instead she signaled the waitress, who came immediately.

"One Nabooian salad, dressing on the side, no eggs." Padmé ordered. "And one glass of Alderaanian red wine."

"Yes, Your Majesty."

Leia thinned her lips slightly, but otherwise didn't comment, and Padmé turned cold chocolate eyes onto Bail. "And how have things been going with you, Bail?"

Bail gave a polite smile. "Things are well, Majesty, thank you."

"I hear the anniversary of Breha's passing is drawing nigh?" Padmé pressed, and the man's countenance wilted just a tiny bit, though he used his political experience to remain calm otherwise.

"That is true," he replied.

"Then shouldn't you be preparing for a trip home to commemorate that day?" Padmé wondered, and Leia's head lifted.

"Mother, I don't think this is relevant," Leia said softly, though there was a hint of steel in her voice.

Padmé didn't even glance Leia's way. "Perhaps I will attend her grave myself, pay my respects. I did always like her; she was an interesting woman with good taste in a lot of things."

Bail buried a slew of painful memories with an effort and strove to remain collected. "She always liked getting a visit from you, Milady."

Padmé's food arrived in record time and the Empress took her time eating, well aware of the awkward tension in the room. Leia silently chafed at her mother's blunt intrusion into the time spent with Bail, but she wasn't willing to risk Padmé's wrath by speaking out of turn on that front. She didn't want to risk Padmé banning Leia from _completely_ seeing Bail either.

As if sensing the train of her daughter's thoughts, Padmé looked to Leia at one point, a perfectly-manicured brow lifting. "Leia, since it's just the three of us, I thought I made it clear that you were not to socialize with Bail outside of Senatorial duties?"

Leia's lips twitched. "We were only having a meal, Mother. Nothing inappropriate happened, and we even spoke of senatorial matters."

Padmé set her fork down. "Could this have not been done in a less... intimate setting? Say, an office?"

Leia's gaze hardened slightly. "We did nothing wrong, Mother. We are simply having a meal together."

Padmé eyed her daughter, obviously considering something. "Very well, you may have your time with Bail... but I expect you to increase your studies. Your internship will now be extended by four months."

Leia's jaw dropped. "Four _months_? But I am nearly finished with..."

"You will do as I say, _Daughter!_ " Padmé snapped in a voice that instantly silenced Leia. "Those are my terms: your friendship with Bail in exchange for more time in schooling."

Leia looked between Bail and Padmé a few times before she sighed, looking to her plate and using the fork to push the pieces of salad around. "Yes Mother."

Padmé's lips twitched in satisfaction, and she returned to her own food, finishing leisurely. Once done she patted her mouth with the napkin and allowed her plate to be taken. She then sat forward again.

"I did not just come here to socialize, Leia."

The young woman blinked up at her mother. "What does that mean?"

Padmé smirked. "I brought you a gift."

She gestured and two of the three royal guards parted to admit a green-clad girl perhaps a year younger than Leia. At Padmé's signal the young woman approached and Leia's gaze riveted to her.

The newcomer reached the table and bowed deeply first to Padmé, nodded to Bail and then turned to Leia.

"Princess Leia," the girl spoke softly, lowering herself in submission. "It will be my great honor to serve you, Milady."

Leia didn't move for several seconds, in the which Bail watched the servant girl work at keeping nerves at bay.

Finally Leia turned to Padmé. "What is going on?"

Padmé tilted her head. "I am giving you a gift." She repeated.

"A servant is a gift?" Leia countered boldly.

"She is a handmaiden," Padmé corrected mildly. "Here to attend to you and your needs."

Leia thinned her lips. "I did not ask for a handmaiden, Mother."

"You didn't need to. Damielle will do nicely either way." Padmé stood up, and the trio of guards shifted in preparation to escort her out. "This is not up for debate. Damielle is yours to do with as you see fit, except dismiss her permanently."

With that, Padmé took her leave, though she threw a look in Bail's direction that he chose to feign missing.

Once the Empress was gone, Bail waited in tense anticipation for what was to come. But he felt badly for poor Damielle, who was caught in the middle, and indeed the girl stood uncertainly.

After a long while, Leia stood up. "Thank you again, Bail. I will retire now."

Bail rose also, bowing to her. "Of course, Princess. I will see you when the Senate meets again in two days' time."

Leia nodded quietly and walked off with a sigh. Damielle was swift to follow, though she maintained a perfect following distance.

 **00000**

Leia didn't fight it when the maid followed her into the waiting speeder, which Quane himself flew. The ride over was mostly quiet, with Leia lost to her thoughts while trying to remain calm outwardly.

She was upset that her mother had deliberately cut in on Leia's pleasant moment with Bail, something Leia had looked forward to. She took whatever chance she could to spend time in Bail's company, especially now that Luke was... missing.

Padmé was envious of Leia's attention to the senator from Alderaan instead of her own mother; that much was clear. But though Leia was on tense terms with her mother, nor was she willing to risk Padmé's certain wrath by openly rebelling against the woman.

Yet.

But Leia was reaching her boiling point, and she wasn't entirely certain what would happen when Leia's quota had finally been filled.

And now with this handmaiden. Leia hadn't wanted one, and in truth she felt bad for making anyone into any form of a servant. That was why Leia had made it a priority to never mention a personal need of one.

So what was Padmé's endgame in giving one to her daughter now? Had Leia done something wrong? Was this a punishment? Or was it possible— however unlikely— that this really was a 'gift' as Padmé saw it?

Leia didn't know, but she wasn't going to be harsh on the girl next to her just because she had been put into such a position.

"Your name is Damielle?" Leia murmured, at last turning her brown gaze onto the other.

The green-eyed teenager blinked at the sudden attention, but was swift to answer. "Yes, Princess. Damielle Krin."

Leia nodded as the speeder continued to draw nearer to the Palace. "Where are you from originally?"

"Tatooine, Milady."

Leia's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Really?" She allowed the faintest of smiles. "We have family there, though my father would never admit it aloud."

It was Damielle's turn to be surprised. "Oh?"

Leia nodded once. "Yes, though they're only family through marriage to my grandmother."

Leia knew the last thing the girl before her had expected was a history lesson on the Vader family history, but it was nice to have something in common with the handmaiden. It made her more... personable, relatable.

"I hope they are doing well, Princess," Damielle said softly.

"And your family also." Leia returned.

The speeder landed then and Leia rose, exiting the vehicle once Quane opened the door for her. She and Damielle walked the distance to Leia's apartment, and once inside Leia settled onto a couch with a sigh.

"May I get you anything, Princess?" Damielle asked, not sure what she should be doing.

"A glass of water would be wonderful," Leia answered. "The kitchen is in the rear of the apartment."

"Very good, Madame." Damielle bowed and left, returning soon after with a glass of cool liquid, which she passed to Leia via a tray.

"You don't have to treat me so in private, Damielle," Leia reproached gently, accepting the drink. "I don't want to be treated like some frou-frou girl who can't do anything independently."

Damielle did a slight double-take, at a loss for words, and she looked to the tray. "Forgive me, Princess, but how would you like me to serve you in the future?"

"Nothing thus formal unless I have guests," Leia replied. "I don't plan to use you for every little thing, so don't expect to be tossed to and fro."

Damielle eyed the Princess, though Leia noted the redhead never met Leia's gaze. "And you may look me in the eye. I am not my mother."

Hesitant emerald orbs ever-so-slowly lifted until they met brown evenly. "No... you are not, Milady, if it's not too bold for me to say so."

Leia's lips lifted a hair. "In this instance, it's not. But I would advise against such notions in the future, just to be on the safe side."

Damielle dipped her head. "As you wish."

Leia took a long drink from her glass and then set it aside, rising. "I have a spare room next to the library I haven't done anything with. You can have it, and I'll make sure furniture is ordered for you. You may decorate that space however you wish, but please do to adjust anything elsewhere without my consent. Especially in the library."

"Of course, Princess, and... thank you." Damielle replied.

Leia led her to the indicated room, next showed her the terminal with which she could order a bed and such, and then disappeared into the small garden she had in the sun room.

The princess felt, but didn't see the odd look sent her way once her back was turned, though she chose not to acknowledge it.


	13. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve:**

Darth Vader stood before the large window that overlooked the vast docking platform that had been designed for the explicit use of the royal family and military personnel assigned to Vader's flagship, the _Executor_.

Below him was the shuttle that would take him to his ship which orbited the planet, awaiting his feet to walk the bridge once more and take command. And soon that would happen, for he had a wayward son to find.

Behind him crisp footsteps sounded until Vader heard a snapped salute. "Your Majesty, you called for me?"

He turned to see Commander Cody standing at perfect attention, his squad that completed Vader's Fist— or the 501st— behind him three paces. Vader nodded once, but didn't speak yet, also awaiting the arrival of his naval officer.

Just then the turbolift at the end of the hall opened to admit a man to which Vader had entrusted his flagship and thus the overall command of his navy when Vader himself wasn't at the helm.

He was dressed in a perfectly tailored black uniform with blood-red piping along the shoulder and neckline. Insignia adorned his chest to designate him a Grand Admiral, and by far this man had proven his worth many times over in Vader's eyes.

"Admiral Piett," Vader greeted the man— one of the few in the entirety of the galaxy to have earned his respect to be greeted first— and the man stopped beside Cody to bow deeply.

"I came as soon as you summoned me, Your Highness," Firmus Piett answered clearly.

Vader gestured for the pair of officers to join him and he moved closer to the window while the men stopped a pair of paces back. "We are going on a manhunt, and I want the target alive and unharmed."

"Very good, Majesty," Piett said. "May I ask who we are looking for?"

Vader didn't answer immediately, and he felt the slight confusion of those behind him. Finally Vader turned away from the view and spoke. "My son. Prince Luke has gone missing, and I will not stop until I have him back where he belongs. However, I do not want it common knowledge just yet that he is gone, just in case there is a reason he has not returned. Perhaps he has gone dark due to a complication in his mission."

Piett and Cody shared a look, and Cody spoke after removing his helmet. "Forgive my bluntness, Majesty, but... you don't sound very certain of that."

Vader sighed. "What I say to you both stays between us, understood?"

At his warning tone of voice, the men nodded crisply.

"Luke has more than likely abandoned his post. I do not, however, want the public to see this and try to paint my family as weak in any way. We will find him, and Prince Luke will be returned home where he should be."

Admiral Piett looked thoughtful while Cody was clearly disapproving of anyone who would leave his position without consent. Vader allowed that from the clone, knowing Cody could and would put his duty before his opinion.

"You have something on your mind, Admiral?" Vader asked mildly after a time.

"Forgive me, but I am only trying to form a strategy." Piett straightened. "Where would you like to begin this search?"

"His ship has been tracked to Ylesia, though this only occurred after I overrode Luke turning the transponder off." Vader replied. "We will begin there. Commander, I want you to prepare the 501st and another contingent of men to search the surrounding area where we find the boy's ship. I want nothing left unturned, but again I do not want Luke's identity revealed."

"Yes Your Majesty," Cody saluted sharply, as did the admiral.

"Admiral, prepare the Executor for my arrival, I will be there in two hours," Vader commanded.

"As you wish."

Vader left them then, and made for his personal quarters. There he found his wife, and he paused to see her lounging in a babydoll of a shimmery blue upon her favorite couch in the gardens. Her legs were placed just-so, and the Sith Lord felt his heartbeat quicken. With a swipe of his hand and usage of the Force, Vader locked all the doors before he approached his wife.

"Hello Beautiful." He purred, sitting down and sensually stroking her leg.

Padmé favored him with a glittering smile. "Hello yourself, Handsome."

Vader leaned forward to give his wife a steamy kiss and then pulled back with an apologetic look. "I'm afraid I will be off Coruscant for a while, Angel."

Padmé frowned some. "What for?" But even as she asked— and saw his expression darken— Padmé knew why. "Luke ran away." It wasn't a question.

"Yes." Vader grated. "And when I find him..."

Padmé touched his cheek. "He will be taught a lesson. I agree with you there. I will admit I never expected Luke to go off the deep end. Certainly he's hesitant, but to run away... it's not like him."

Vader snorted. "I suppose so, though more often than not I don't understand what goes on in that boy's head."

Padmé shifted, exposing more of her luscious body to her husband, who openly showed his desire. "Well, you will find him, I believe you will. Just try not to terrorize too many of our poor citizens in the process." She added playfully.

Vader's lips quirked. "Who, me?"

Padmé chuckled. "Yes you." She closed her eyes as Vader let his hand wander some more along her exposed skin. "How long do you have until you leave?"

"A few hours," Vader responded.

"Hmm," Padmé whispered, grasping his tunic and pulling him closer. "That leaves more than enough time for us to say goodbye properly."

Vader smiled, already shifting to remove some of his clothing. "You read my mind."

 **00000**

A few hours later, the _Executor_ and a few escorting vessels departed from Coruscant, and with it a shiver echoed across the galaxy, even the Force itself.

 **00000**

Luke paused in his work when the Force shifted ominously, and he took the time to figure out what it meant. What he got in response frosted his blood somewhat. Vader was now on the move.

Looking for Luke.

The mechanical part in Luke's hand wobbled as his fingers trembled, and Luke willed himself to be calm, though he was only partially successful. He had known all along that his father wouldn't just sit back and let Luke leave. But he'd somehow managed to convince himself that maybe... just maybe he could get away with more time.

But reality was back to slap him in the face, and Luke was left to battle the instinctual fear that reared its ugly head.

Closing his eyes, Luke set aside his physical task and worked to find his center, an anchor. Surprisingly, or perhaps not so much, Luke found himself seeking out Shmi's counsel, and her voice... and finally, the memory of her soothing presence.

 _Be strong... brave... You cannot live in constant fear of Darth Vader..._

Luke took several deep breaths, wishing he knew the Jedi art of meditation. Vader hadn't held much stalk in it, but something about meditation had always called to Luke, though he'd never done it formally before.

"Be strong," he whispered, holding to his grandmother's memory as his rock. "I will be strong... and brave."

Then the name she'd given him resurfaced, bringing with it a measure of courage he'd never before experienced.

 _Skywalker..._

But though that was his surname from his grandmother, Luke didn't feel... worthy of that name. Not yet. He wanted to go by that name, more than anything he wanted to, but not yet. He had to earn it, or at least be more worthy of it.

But still, he could begin that road... but how?

For now, Luke supposed he would simply let the Force guide him, and not worry incessantly. But that fear still niggled at him...

Luke knew it would hamper him, and in an effort to remain focused, Luke chose to look at his situation as though he were on one of his missions: focus or you would get bitten.

With that determination set, Luke pushed his fear away and chose not to dwell on the future to the point of going crazy.

He slowly resumed his work on the droid parts and once finished he collected the garbage and took it to the receptacle onboard the _Falcon_. Then he found an empty box and put his trade-worthy parts inside it for later use.

Finally he was left with the head piece and other appendages he'd salvaged. One of the arm-like parts had turned out to be far more gone than he'd realized, so that left him with one arm and two stubby leg protrusions.

But he wasn't certain he would use the legs.

With a sigh, Luke began to gather the rest of his things to store away. That was when the landing ramp opened, and Luke sensed his companions' return. Luke straightened with an armful of his gear and turned in time to see Han appear, his own arms filled with wiring.

"See, I told you he'd still be here, Chewie!" Han called back down the ramp triumphantly.

A series of growls sounded, and Luke smirked. Han just rolled his eyes and moved deeper into the ship.

He frowned when he at last noticed Luke's load. "What is all that?"

Luke glanced down. "Droid parts. I'm going to build myself one."

Han stared. "I've never seen those parts in my life, where'd you get them?"

Luke's lips lifted a hair. "I went for a walk and found a wrecked ship. These were inside."

Han's eyebrows lifted. "A shipwreck?"

Luke saw the possibility of making money catch in the smuggler's gaze. The young man shook his head. "It wasn't salvageable for parts, trust me. I only got a few usable things off the wreckage myself."

Han eyed Luke. "I can be the judge of that."

"No," Luke said firmly, not wanting to have the site where he'd met his grandmother to be torn apart by scavengers.

Han's gaze hardened. "What's the matter Kid? It's just an old ship, no one will care."

Luke thought fast and decided to play penitent. "I... actually can't remember where I found it. It was by chance, and I didn't think to map out my route. I was just wandering, and happened upon it."

He felt the man's eyes on him, and now Chewbacca's, as the Wookiee had joined them partway through the conversation. Luke held firm, though he wasn't really lying. Luke in truth didn't think he could find his way back without help from the Force. After all, he hadn't been looking for the ship in the first place.

Finally Han sighed. "Ah, fine."

There was something in the other's countenance that gave Luke pause. He tilted his head a fraction. "Why are you so upset about a downed ship, anyway? It's not like it would fetch all that much even if you did manage to get something off of it."

Chewbacca harned something, but Han scowled, throwing the Wookiee a look. "Now isn't the time. Let's get the _Falcon_ repaired before Zolar catches up to us. We can have heart-to-hearts when we don't have Jikati pirates breathing down our necks."

Luke thinned his lips at the clear deflection, but didn't call the man on it. Luke instead went to put his parts away and reappeared to assist the two smugglers with the load of gear they had brought back.

Luke blinked to see a speeder laden with food also. "Are we planning to return the speeder?"

"Yeah, it's a rental," Han grunted as he lofted a crate of foodstuffs.

"I can return it while you and Chewbacca work on the ship, since you don't want me doing that." Luke offered.

Han considered. "Maybe. You don't know your way."

"I can figure it out, Han; I am not helpless." Luke barely managed to not lace his voice with sarcasm.

Han shook his head. "Fine. Let's get the stuff on the _Falcon,_ and then we can worry about getting the speeder back."

Luke heard the 'alright fine' in the response and hid a satisfied smile behind a pair of crates he hefted up and walked with. The process of unloading the speeder thankfully took less time than the spice shipment had, and it was time to return the rented vehicle within an hour of Han's return.

Han gave Luke directions and as soon as he had clearance, Luke was gone. Trees sped past at a swift rate, and Luke relished the feeling. He loved to fly, and he could pilot anything he came across.

The ride to the city of Port-Esta took Luke four solid hours by speeder, and he remembered Han saying the hike would take all day. This didn't faze Luke, though he did entertain the thought of buying a speederbike for himself.

A few years ago Luke had set up a secret bank account for himself, where he siphoned a percentage of all his money made— from allowances and such that his parents gave him, as well as any money he earned for himself— so that if he needed the money without his parents knowing, he could access it.

And since he hadn't touched it much to use since he had set it up all those years ago, Luke had a healthy sum of money saved up. Not even Leia knew about it, though that wasn't due to a lack of trust. Luke hadn't said anything mostly to protect Leia if for some reason things went sour with Luke and his parents.

Such as now.

But maybe, just maybe Luke could find more droid parts that he needed while in town. Then he could begin assembling his droid.

When he came into town, Luke was surprised to note that many of the buildings were made up of earthen clay and had thatched roofs of straw. There were only a few buildings that were made of more... modern material, and these seemed to be the major centers for most of the shopping, though Luke saw a few locally-owned businesses as he made his way to the rental place for the speeder.

He arrived at last and was met by the dealer, a male Arcona with dark skin and a triangular head.

His golden almond-shaped eyes regarded Luke oddly. "You are not the one who rented this vehicle."

"I know, that was my friend." Luke soothed calmly, handing control of his speeder over to the man. "I am returning it for him."

The other tilted his head at a peculiar angle Luke guessed was meant to be the Arcona equivalent of lifting an eyebrow. "Well, what happened to the man and his Wookiee is of little concern to me so long as my property is returned."

Luke snickered to himself, but didn't argue with the other. "Can you tell me where I would go to find droid parts please?"

"There is a large dealer by the spaceport, as well as a smaller dealer owned by natives," the alien's voice gained a disdainful edge. "But you'd be better off not buying their junk. Go get _quality_ items that will last."

Luke kept his face impassive, and nodded once, even though he didn't feel like this man's assessment was wholly accurate. Or unbiased. Besides, something in the way the man had tried to put the larger dealer on a pedestal didn't sit right with Luke.

And why not try to support the local vendors and thus their economy? They had families to support too, didn't they?

"Thank you," Luke replied. "I may be back to look at another vehicle."

"Then I will see you upon your return," was the reply.

Luke parted ways with the fellow, lifting his hood for privacy before he walked casually down the street in search of the shop indicated. Luke pursed his lips as he wondered on the local dealers, and decided he wanted to find it for himself.

He received a few looks as he passed by the locals, but Luke didn't sense any hostility; merely curiosity and even some wariness. Luke stopped one elderly couple on the street— a pair of Icarii, one of the native species of the planet— on a corner and asked for directions to the local parts dealer.

"You mean Kiida's place," the man answered, a being with pale, crystalline blue skin that marked his old age. "She's the fairest dealer in these parts."

"Kiida will treat you fairly." The woman added.

The Force affirmed their honesty and Luke smiled kindly. "Thank you."

After receiving their advice, Luke left the main avenue, and half an hour later found himself near the edge of town. He finally found the shop, though the sign was almost completely blocked by piles of parts.

Luke paused outside the shop and considered the establishment before him. He had seen junkshops before, yes, but had not been in one by himself much because his father insisted on giving Luke only the best of the best.

But Luke had a good feeling about this shop, something that had been building the closer he came.

At last he entered, allowing his eyes to adjust to the lower light within since the establishment was lighted naturally during the day. What had looked to be random piles of stuff from a distance Luke now saw were in fact organized by part.

There were components laid out systematically and with obvious attention to detail if the cleaned parts were any indication. Luke lowered his hood, taking in the overall space and noticing there was a door to a backyard section also.

Luke didn't see anyone working the floor, however. Supposing them to be in an office or perhaps a backroom, Luke began browsing the store at his leisure. He began with the parts nearest him, taking stock of the wiring and other hardware needed to build a droid's insides.

Luke suddenly felt like a kid in a candy store, and realized he would he returning to the _Falcon_ with a large load of parts.

"Hello."

Luke spun at the sudden, youthful voice and had to drop his gaze several inches from his own height to meet a small blue face framed with crimson curls. "Hi," he replied with a smile for the child.

"Are you here to buy from my mother?" the girl asked innocently.

"Boorie, you should not ask such things!" another, older child reprimanded as he appeared also, his red hair short and spiky. "It is rude to ask customers such things!"

Boorie looked to her brother. "I wasn't being rude! I was only curious!"

Luke held up a calming hand. "It's alright. And yes, I am here to buy parts for a droid build. Is Kiida in?"

"Our mother," the boy answered. "And yes, she is in the back. We will get her for you."

"Thank you," Luke replied, though he returned to his perusal of the store once the two kids were gone. Luke spied an empty crate and picked it up to use for carrying his items.

He went through each and every pile, picking out everything he felt and knew he would need, and then a little extra just in case.

 **00000**

Three figures stepped off a shuttle once it had landed and the ramp lowered. The first figure, a male Krish, paused to take in his surroundings.

"Doesn't seem to be too busy," Nu-ada Quorr commented as his fellow pirates set their feet on the soil.

"That makes it an ideal place to hide out," the female Elomin replied, her red skin a beauty to behold. Her head-horns protruded prominently while she carried herself with pride.

"Indeed it is, Thea," Nu-ada replied.

The pair of them looked to their human companion, Jouran Wyttle, who had his eyes fixated on a datapad. "Boss says to check the unusual places too, not just the obvious hideouts."

Nu-ada and Thea exchanged a glance and then nodded. "Will do."

Jouran pocketed the 'pad and looked around. "Let's start with cantinas, and then make our way to repair shops if we get no luck there."

Nu-ada laughed. "Jouran, there is probably only one cantina on this rock, two if you're lucky since we're in the 'big city'."

His remark garnered a laugh from Thea too, while Jouran merely rolled his eyes. "Then that part of our search should prove swift."

"We _could_ just wander the streets claiming we're looking for a lost friend," Thea offered only half-seriously. "Show a holo and see who reacts."

Jouran gave the woman a look, and then the datapad. "By all means, do that. Nu-ada and I will do something productive and search the stores first."

Thea glared at him, but snatched the datapad from his grasp. "Fine, I will do that. Just wait, I'll be the one to find this Jedi-wannabe, and Joras will reward _me_ instead of you."

Nu-ada silently wished such a thing would happen, since in his opinion Jouran needed to be knocked down a few notches on his self-imposed pedestal.

The trio split up to begin their search, agreeing to comm. each other if they found anything useful.

 **00000**

"May I help you find something?" asked a more adult female voice.

Luke again looked up from his search to see an Icarii woman with reflective, crystal blue skin and deeply red hair. She wore a pair of cargo pants and a simple, if dirty shirt, but Luke didn't mind. In her hands was some part or another she was cleaning with a rag.

"Do you have droid body parts also?" Luke inquired. "I need a body, arms and possibly some legs."

The woman eyed his crate with no small amount of surprise. "You must be building one from scratch?" she asked knowingly.

"I am," Luke shrugged somewhat sheepishly. "Though I don't really have a full design in mind. I have a head but not much else."

"Well, let's take you out back where I store all my appendages for droids." The woman gestured for Luke to follow, and spoke to her son in their native tongue.

The child nodded and disappeared, to return soon after with a larger cart.

"Here are the main body pieces I have collected." Kiida told Luke as they neared the fourth section out from the main building. "Do you have a color in mind? I have them sorted by such."

"I want something in a white-gold with yellow tones if you have it." Luke said as he carefully browsed the selection. It was larger than he had been expecting, with some of the items clearly being retired models.

"Well, I don't have much of the fancy stuff, that's more the large-business's deal." Kiida answered without ire, though there was a new note of hesitation in her voice now.

"I'm not looking for the shiniest thing available," Luke assured her softly. "I just want to build something that I created. But I am not above using recycled parts if they work just fine."

Kiida eyed him, and Luke had the distinct sense of being studied. "You are... unique for a human, I must say. I have not met many of your kind who are so down to earth. Most of my customers are other natives of Vestar."

Luke simply shrugged, blushing somewhat at the woman's words.

Kiida smiled softly, patting him on the shoulder briefly. "Don't you worry; we will get you taken care of. And if you're really purchasing all this, then I thank you. My children will eat well for some time after today."

Luke felt unexpected warmth spread through him at that pronouncement. He hadn't ever experienced taking care of the less-wealthy like this. He had always been under his parents' shadows. But it felt indescribably good to be making such an impact on someone's life like this.

"I'm glad to help," Luke murmured, humbled.

Kiida dipped her head. "Let's get the rest of your gear, shall we?"

Luke didn't argue, though he was having trouble finding a mechanical body he liked. Most of them were far too bulky or large. He knew he wanted something more streamlined and small. He sifted through each model, turning the more promising ones over in his hands with a keen eye.

 **00000**

Thea didn't care if she'd agreed to contact Jouran: let the fool flounder for a while. But once Nu-ada had contacted her with negative luck in his chosen cantina, Thea had offered to let him join her in flashing the holo of the Force-user.

They had been at it for a little while when they approached a café with outdoor seating. There they paused, leaning in over the gate towards those seated at tables.

"Have you seen this fellow?" Thea asked.

"No, sorry," a human couple replied.

"How about you?" Thea asked across the pair since there was a man at the table next to theirs.

"No."

Nu-ada rubbed at his chin. "This isn't working. We need to flush him out if he's here."

"First we need to know that he _is_ here." Thea reminded him.

The two of them caught movement in their peripherals, and they glanced across the patio to see an elderly couple just turning away. Thea shared a look with Nu-ada and they made their way over to the Icarii natives.

"What about you, huh?" Nu-ada asked as he stood over the male. "You seen this guy?"

Thea held up the holo and watched as the man's eyes flickered knowingly, but he tried to deny it.

"I don't think it's any of your business where this young man is."

Thea narrowed her eyes. "He's a friend of ours, we're just trying to find him before someone else does." The woman shifted, and Thea laid it on. "And if we find him first, we can warn him of the other man looking for him."

"You don't talk of him as a friend," the elderly Icarii noted.

Nu-ada rumbled low in his throat and began to take food from the man's plate, helping himself to slices of meat.

"Old man, let me lay it out for you. You help us..." He grabbed the woman by her graying red hair. "Or she gets beaten."

The man paled considerably, even as his wife whimpered in fear. "Alright! Just leave her alone!"

Thea smirked imperiously. "Where is he?"

"We sent him to the southern end of the city," the man said resignedly. "Kiida's shop. It'll be faster for you to get there by speeder."

Nu-ada leaned forward, pulling the elderly woman forward by the hair as he did so. "If you're playing us, we will find you and finish this... and it won't be pretty."

"That's where we sent him when he asked for directions," the man insisted. "I don't know if he actually went, but he walked that direction."

"Walked?" Thea perked up. "He's on foot? Was he alone?"

"Yes to both," the man replied.

Thea eyed him and then nodded to Nu-ada, who jerked the woman's head forward some more as he let her go. "It's been a pleasure."

Thea contacted Jouran then, and the man told them to wait and that he would pick them up in their speeder.

 **00000**

Luke was beginning to have his doubts that he would find something he could agree to when the parts in the pile shifted. He felt a warning in the Force seconds before the parts began to landslide downward.

Kiida had reached to grab at his arm, but Luke was already moving, making sure they were both clear.

"I am sorry!" Kiida was saying once the dust settled. "I take great care in placing items, but sometimes they fall!"

"It's fine," Luke said.

"You aren't injured are you?" the woman fretted.

"No." Luke pacified her, holding up a hand in a gesture of peace. "No damage done..."

He trailed off as something caught his eye, and Luke waded into the mess to get a closer look. As he drew closer and got a better look at the item excitement bubbled near the surface of his control.

Luke carefully but eagerly lifted the part from the pile and grinned. "This is the one!"

It was actually a three-piece body piece that made Luke think of an oversized insect. The chest-portion was angular, with wider shoulders and a tapered torso. The part looked to be connected by torn hosing that could be replaced with powerful electromagnets or even fresh wire tubing. The middle portion of the trio was almost like an oblong cylinder about the size of an oblong, Ithorian melon. The final and smallest part was like an oversized ice cream cone, and the look of the whole assembly pleased Luke.

"I did not realize I had that thing," Kiida mused as she too inspected it, openly maneuvering it as if to check for anything she needed to fix before she let a customer walk off with it. "It isn't the color you wanted, though. It's more ivory than white-gold."

"I can paint it if I need to," Luke assured her. "Now I need appendages... and, do you carry weapons for droids at all? Or modifications?"

Kiida hesitated. "I do not believe in equipping droids for war, if that is what you mean..."

Luke shook his head. "Nothing like that, I assure you. I merely wanted to give it a means of self-defense."

Kiida considered. "Normally I wouldn't even have this conversation," she began softly. "But in light of how much business you are bringing my family, I will allow you to browse what I have... scavenged from the jungle over the years. Some of it you may find useful."

Luke dipped his head in thanks, and finished collecting all his needed parts before he finally went with Kiida to a locked door. She opened it for him and led him in. Within was a small assortment of items one might consider questionable when placed in a droid.

Luke perused her selection and took a shock probe, a small blaster, and a splicing module.

"Thank you, I think I am done now," Luke said, and he took his large amount of product to the counter.

Kiida eyed the content and input the numbers into a datapad, then looked to him. She hesitated only slightly, as if she wasn't sure how any customer would take such a large price. "Your total... is two thousand credits."

"Alright," Luke pulled out his own datapad and accessed his account, keeping the screen out of Kiida's view for privacy. "The funds will be transferred to your account. I just need the number."

Kiida gave it to him and Luke showed her the confirmation and then waited for her to check her own account. "Aright, it's in. Thank you for your business."

Luke hesitated then, wondering how he was supposed to get all this back to the _Falcon_.

At that moment the two children came hustling in, fear etched on their faces. "Mommy, Mommy!"

Kiida was instantly alert, coming around the counter and dropping to her knees as her son and daughter sought her for protection. "What is wrong?"

"There are mean men coming!" the girl cried.

"They have a black speeder and they look like..." the boy hesitated, looking down uncertainly.

"Like what, Calan?" their mother urged patiently.

"Like pirates," Calan whispered.

Luke sucked in a breath. The Jikati were here? Luke slapped his forehead. Of course they were, the gang of pirates would have sent out scouts to the planets nearby Delrakkin. They knew the _Falcon_ was damaged and would have to land for repairs somewhere close by. Now they were sending out small search teams, and once the target was acquired, the rest of the group would join in the take-down.

"They are here for me," Luke informed Kiida apologetically. Her eyes snapped to his, widening in horror. "Take your children, and hide in the back."

When Kiida didn't immediately move, Luke ushered them to obey. "Hurry! I will deal with them!"

Kiida thinned her lips, but was smart enough not to question him again. She picked up her daughter and barked a command to her son, who followed as they vanished. Luke took up a place in a small alcove created by a cluster of shelves and waited for the pirates to enter.

They would be coming in from the outside and thus the brighter sun, so that would give Luke a momentary advantage while their eyesight adjusted.

Luke heard the scrape of boots on the threshold and peeked through a slit in the shelves to see a human, a Krish, and an Elomin appear. The trio of pirates looked around, blasters drawn. Then the human motioned and the trio split up to search the shop.

Luke decided that the Krish, since he was the strongest-looking being of the enemy, would be his biggest threat. The woman, however, was closest to Luke's position, so he ducked below her immediate line of sight and watched her feet move. She moved cautiously, the boots she wore turning every so often as she looked here and there.

When they paused for a long moment, Luke held his breath, thinking she had spotted him, but he only heard something being taken from a shelf.

"I could sure use a few of these parts," she said aloud, and Luke's mood darkened when he heard her take things at will. Her greed caused her to become careless, however, and she wandered around the shelf without really paying attention. Luke sprang on her, clamping a hand over her mouth and an arm around her neck before she could scream.

She struggled, and Luke barely kept her from kicking anything, though that didn't stop the things in her hands from clattering all over the floor.

That of course drew the attention of the others, and as the two males rushed toward the sound, the woman elbowed Luke in the gut, _hard_. He grunted in pain and fell back some, releasing his hold on her.

She doubled over gasping as the Krish rushed around the shelves. Seconds later he was charging Luke, who was forced to shove away his pain and leap aside. The Krish barreled into the mound of parts that had been behind the teenager, and Luke kicked out at him.

A meaty hand snapped out to catch his foot and Luke suddenly found himself being twisted. Luke moved his body with the action so the Krish didn't break his ankle, and as he did so his free foot slammed into the Krish's face.

The other swore as his nose began to bleed, but he released Luke. The Shadow felt a warning in the Force and grabbed the lightsaber off his belt just as the woman shot at him. Instinctively he deflected the shot, and it went into her chest, downing the Elomin woman with a shriek.

That, of course, was when the human arrived. He charged at Luke with a vibrosword, and Luke found himself locked into a melee-weapon scuffle. To his surprise the weapon caught the lightsaber, and this man clearly knew how to wield his blade.

But so did Luke, and the pirate didn't have the Force. Luke didn't want to kill these people, and he already regretted killing the woman, but he also knew he was defending the innocent and himself.

If these pirates were left alive they could harm Kiida and her family, though the rest of the gang would probably follow anyway.

A swipe of the man's vibroblade came close to Luke's waist, and he dodged in the cramped space, finding himself between the two men as the alien regained his feet. The Krish grabbed at Luke, who ducked and spun at the same time. With a swipe of his red blade, Luke removed one hand off the Krish, who screamed and fell back.

But the distraction of dealing with the Krish allowed the human to get under Luke's guard. White-hot pain lanced across Luke's bicep as the pirate's sword touched flesh, and Luke screamed.

Anger threatened to boil for Luke, but he pushed it away. He dodged a follow-up strike and as he came up, Luke flew into an offensive series of attacks. This had the other man backpedaling swiftly; though to his credit he kept pace.

The two made their way through the store, knocking over parts and such as they moved. The pirate, seeing Luke was gaining the upper hand, began to grab up parts and hurl them at Luke.

Luke dodged or deflected each one, and yet he opened himself to the Force even more. The lightsaber came down in an overhead strike and when the man moved to deflect, Luke dipped his hilt in a manner that shifted his blade to be a little lower and to the left. As the man tried to compensate, Luke moved again and came in under the man's defenses.

The pirate gave a shocked shout when Luke sliced his weapon's hilt in two. That stopped the vibrations, and Luke tried to end the fight cleanly by knocking him out, but the man dipped away at the last second. The pirate threw his broken weapon at Luke, and as the young man avoided that, his opponent grabbed up several dangerous objects and threw the entire handful at Luke with the intent to kill.

Trapped between towering piles and unable to dodge, Luke again reacted instinctively, throwing up a hand and _shoving_ at the incoming projectiles. The items changed direction in a heartbeat, and before the other could move, the pirate's own barrage returned to him.

He screamed as the wall of metal approached, and Luke realized a second too late what was about to happen.

"NO!" Luke cried, throwing up a hand, but it was too late.

The pirate was impaled by several pieces and Luke felt nauseous as the other gurgled wetly before collapsing to twitch on the ground. Unable to let the man suffer further, Luke ended his life, though he felt even sicker. He hadn't wanted to _kill!_

Luke, caught up in his inner battle, missed the warning in the Force. Something hit him over the back of the head, and Luke saw stars. Momentarily blinded, Luke relied solely on the Force, and from his position on the floor he spun onto his back, ignited his lightsaber and thrust up and to the right.

Something suddenly weighted the end of his weapon and then a heavy body fell atop Luke, now lifeless. The air left him in a wheeze, and Luke did his best to work past his pain to remove the heavy body lying atop him.

His lungs begged for air and Luke's injured arm shook as he worked to remove the alien. Then, with a mental rebuke to himself for not thinking of this initially, Luke resorted to using the Force. Seconds later Luke gasped in great gulps of sweet oxygen, his chest heaving.

He coughed, rolling over and taking a moment to clear his mind. He looked up to see the carnage and swallowed with difficulty. Resolutely, and with the gut feeling that he needed to get out of there, Luke rose to his feet. When his gaze happened upon the counter where Kiida had left her datapad, Luke paused.

His training kicked in moments later and Luke strode over, plucked up the device and moved to erase all traces of his bank account. Just before finishing, however, Luke's attention was brought to the mess all around him.

Guilt formed a lead ball in his stomach, and Luke pursed his lips, finger hovering over the 'delete' button. With a decision made, Luke took out his own datapad and sent another helping of credits into Kiida's account to both pay for the mess and to help her stay afloat should Vader happen here also and wreck her business.

 _Then_ Luke erased all his information and replaced the datapad. And not a moment too soon, because Kiida appeared then, staggering at the mess and blood.

"Who _are_ you?" Kiida demanded roughly.

"Someone who never wanted you to be caught in the middle of this," Luke replied vaguely. "And I am so sorry. I will get rid of these pirates and be on my way."

Before she could object, Luke did just that, using the Force to levitate the bodies... before he stopped. Instead of hiding them, Luke placed them behind the shelves he had hidden in before and turned to Kiida. If he hid them and Zolar came, he would take his anger out on Kiida, but if Luke left the scene as it was, she would have a better chance.

"Call this in to Zolar of the Jikati pirates, and when he comes, tell the truth," Luke instructed the woman as he instead levitated his gear. "And if anyone else comes looking for me, tell them the truth also. You must think of your family first."

"If I had known you'd bring death and destruction into my home, I would have never helped you to begin with," Kiida remarked angrily.

Luke looked away. "I don't blame you. Goodbye, and again, I am so sorry."

Luke spied the speeder the pirates had come in and, since it was no longer under their care, took it for himself. He loaded it up and took off soon after; hoping Han and Chewie were having better luck with repairs to the _Falcon._


	14. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen:**

Leia couldn't remember the last time she had actually had a day off from the senate where her mother didn't have a schedule already planned. But maybe Padmé was feeling generous due to Leia still getting used to having Damielle in the house too, because so far the elder Vader hadn't called for her daughter.

Leia didn't hold anything against the other teenager: she was an honest worker, if a little... curious. Leia didn't quite feel comfortable leaving her work lying around when Damielle was present.

Well, at least not _all_ of it. Still feeling burnt from Padmé's butting in on the time with Bail, Leia had begun compiling a more in-depth list of supplies the Alliance could possibly need. It was something she could do quietly, and today she considered passing along some key information to Bail, though Leia was understandably nervous about that.

But Leia wasn't ready to openly rebel. No, she needed more time... time to figure out what she wanted to do with her life.

"Princess?"

Leia looked up from her computer terminal, the surrounding library lit by the sun in a golden hue. There in the doorway stood Damielle, dressed in a much more casual outfit per Leia's request.

Leia saw no need to make her handmaiden wear a dress at all times. When they had company or needed to take care of business, that was one thing, but for just being around the house Leia let Damielle wear casual attire if she so chose.

"Yes Damielle?" Leia answered, meeting the other's green gaze.

"It's about lunch time; would you like me to make you a meal?" Damielle asked.

Leia glanced at her chrono. "Is it that time already?"

She considered, patting her chin with a stylus. She was about to reply when her datapad pinged an alert that a message had just come in. Leia glanced at it, and then took a closer look when she saw the sender.

Careful to keep her face neutral while Damielle was there, Leia picked up the 'pad and opened the document.

 _Leia,_

 _I hope you will forgive my timing, but I was rather hoping we could meet this afternoon. Perhaps in the park, or I can meet you anywhere you'd like, but somewhere we can speak in private... if you can get away. I don't want to create more tension between you and your mother, but this concerns something we spoke of not too long ago. Please, contact me when you get this._

 _Bail._

Leia frowned a hair, wondering what exactly he was referring to. They had spoken a few times, after all...

A sound from the front room drew Leia's attention, and minutes later a blue and silver astromech droid rolled into Leia's library, tootling curiously at her.

"Hello Artoo." Leia greeted the astromech, and when he went on speaking, she began shuffling through her drawers. "Hold on, let me find the datapad Luke rigged for me..."

Luke had long ago created a datapad for Leia with which she could translate Artoo-Detoo's binary language. Oddly enough, Luke seemed to be able to understand the droid without one, and Leia wondered how much of that was learned and how much was instinctive intuition via the Force.

The reminder of her twin brought a pang of worry to the brunette, and she slowed her motions a little before she covered it up by withdrawing her find. "Here we go. Alright, ask me again, Artoo."

 _Have you seen Master Luke?_ Artoo repeated dutifully.

Leia blinked at the squat droid. "No... didn't you know?"

 _Know what, Princess?_

Leia bit her lip, and then looked to Damielle. "Leave us please."

The redhead bowed and left silently, and once Leia had confirmed she was gone, she used the Force to shut the door. Then she turned back to Artoo, rising and placing a hand to his dome.

"Artoo, Luke... he didn't come back," Leia murmured.

 _He what?!_ Artoo squealed. _Is he lost?_

Leia sighed, feeling like a teacher telling a child there was no gift-bringer for the winter holidays. But then again, Artoo was kept in the hangar bay staff by their father— who seemed only to keep Artoo because he was handy— so the droid really _wouldn't_ have heard. Not that many others had, Leia recalled. Her family was keeping Luke's absence under wraps at the moment.

Artoo had certainly proven his worth over the years as far as Leia was concerned, but since she didn't regularly work on ships and mechanics like her father and twin brother, she didn't have frequent contact with the droid.

Luke on the other hand... he and Artoo had formed a deep bond, one that had begun when Luke was still in his single-digit years. Luke had found his way to one of the hangars that housed ships and other mechanical things that had been commandeered and taken in by the Emperor but not disposed of. At this discovery the youth had taken to working on one thing or another there, and over the years Luke had spent many hours there venting his fears, frustration or other emotions in the form of grunt work.

As for Artoo, the droid had found the boy one night working on a starfighter, weeping as he went after a particularly harsh day of Vader's training. Or rather, the blunt and open disapproval of the lack of progress Luke had been making.

"No Artoo," Leia said sadly. "He ran away."

Artoo stared at her for long seconds, and Leia could practically feel the sadness rolling off of the mechanical being as the poor thing leaned forward slowly and let out a mournful whistle.

Leia couldn't help the emotion that clogged her throat, and in the face of such open and innocent sorrow, she couldn't remain straight-faced. Leia closed her eyes, cold tears that she had kept at bay all this time finally surfacing to slip in silent tracks down her cheeks.

Leia knelt beside Artoo-Detoo and leaned against him. "I miss him also, Artoo. He's my best friend... my twin. And I can't be angry with him for trying to get away from..." Leia paused, and then spoke the last bitterly, waving hand, "all this."

Artoo warbled softly, and Leia went on. "But it's still so lonely without him. I have no one to talk to anymore, and I wish... I wish I could leave too, but that would never work. But at the same time I am terrified for Luke. What will Vader do when he finally catches up to Luke, Artoo?"

Artoo looked to her, his photoreceptor blinking steadily for a moment. _If Master Vader hurts Master Luke, I will do what I can to help Luke._

Leia did a slight double-take. "What do you mean?"

 _Master Anakin was a wonderful human to serve under..._ Artoo replied, and Leia heard the wistful tone in his remarks. _But ever since... he became Darth Vader, he isn't the same, and I miss my old master. But Master Luke is my friend too... since Mistress Padmé reprogrammed Threepio. I will protect and help Master Luke if it costs me my mechanical life._

Leia regarded the mechanical being, seeing again why he had been kept around. Such a droid as this was indeed a rarity to be found. Leia found it deeply touching— and comforting— that he would be willing to risk everything for Luke. And that gave Leia cause to smile, albeit softly.

"I hope that day never comes, but if it does, I know I can trust you," Leia whispered, biting her lip and glancing at her computer. "But for now, can you do something for me?"

 _Anything for you, Mistress Leia._

"I have a... secret file on my computer I need you to make a copy of in case I need a backup." Leia spoke so her voice wouldn't carry beyond the two of them.

Artoo whistled in surprise, and then wheeled over to her terminal to plug in. Leia watched as the droid happily and easily did as she requested until at long last he unplugged and rolled back over to her with a confirming twitter.

"Thank you, Artoo." Leia patted his dome and then glanced at her datapad. "I need a way out of the Palace..."

Artoo looked to her, bleeping questioningly.

"I need to meet a friend, but I don't want Mother to freak out and blow things out of proportion." Leia sighed, sitting in her chair once more.

 _Why not take your new friend and go for a walk, and then slip out via the worker's entrance in the lower-level gardens?_ Artoo suggested.

Leia turned to regard the squat droid. "Aren't those locked and shielded?"

 _They can be unlocked._ Artoo replied leadingly. _I will see to it that one of them is shut down and the security notice dismissed._

He rolled away before she could stop him, and once he was gone, Leia shook her head with a quiet laugh. It was no wonder Artoo had managed to last this long. He had spunk, that was for certain, and wasn't afraid to push boundaries and do what he felt was needed.

Leia considered the rest of his suggestion and pursed her lips, thinking it over. A walk to the gardens would not require any guards, since she would not be leaving the building... but nor did Leia want Damielle to come along for the meet with Bail.

She could always send Damielle on a job, she supposed.

Her mind made up, Leia called her handmaiden back in and soon after the pair were making their way to the lower-level gardens.

 **00000**

Luke's arm stung sharply and his head throbbed, but he willed himself to ignore the pain as the _Millennium Falcon_ finally came into view. Luke drew to a stop and exited the speeder, making his way onboard swiftly.

"Han?"

A clang sounded from deep inside the ship, and Luke followed the noise. "Han?"

A head poked up and around an open floor panel, and Han's hazel eyes gazed back at Luke. "Yeah, what is it?"

"Please tell me the _Falcon_ is ready to fly?" Luke asked, one hand covering his arm.

Han narrowed his eyes at Luke's state of being. "Not yet... why? What in space happened to you?"

"The Jikati pirates are looking for us, and I had a run-in with three of them." Luke admitted.

Han swore colorfully and ducked back down. "We can hustle then. Why don't you go help Chewie with the housing unit?"

"Alright." Luke turned and did just that, coming up beside the Wookiee and nodding in greeting. "I'm here to help."

[Good, can you hold the part so it stops slipping as I try to secure it?] Chewbacca instructed.

Luke nodded once and complied. As the Wookiee worked, he noticed Luke's bloodied arm. [What happened to you?]

Luke sighed. "The pirates caught up to me, or rather a scouting group of them did, but it won't take long for Zolar to follow up on them."

Chewie sighed, withholding his question on whether Velius had told Han. Chewie knew that the young man had already done so: that was why he was here. Han would have sent Velius to help somewhere he could be supervised since their timeline was now shortened.

[How did you get back so quickly?] Chewie asked as an afterthought once half the housing unit was bolted in place.

"The pirates I met are dead, so they didn't need the speeder... and I did," the young man answered.

Chewie turned his head toward Luke as he tightened yet another bolt. [Death tends to follow Inquisitors everywhere they go. Even, it would seem, when they try to avoid it.]

Velius' shoulders slumped and Chewie saw something odd flickered across the boy's gaze, but it was gone so swiftly that Chewie couldn't identify it.

"I know," Velius finally whispered. "But can we not talk about that, please?"

Chewie lifted a brow, but then acquiesced.

 **00000**

Leia had to make two rounds of the gardens before she finally found the correct door Artoo had rigged for her. Only then did she turn to Damielle.

"I think I would like lunch now. Please go start on that, and I will be along later." Leia instructed.

"Yes, Milady," Damielle murmured, and she walked away.

Leia finished her current circuit of the garden to keep up appearances should anyone be looking. As she neared her destination, Leia looked surreptitiously about and then detoured swiftly and silently to the exit. In the dark shadows of the short hallway, Leia noticed that where there should have been an active security camera, there was nothing but a dead camera courtesy of Artoo.

With a tiny smile, Leia pulled out a hooded robe she'd smuggled under her gown and donned it. Once she was outside the walls, Leia walked calmly along for several meters before she pulled out her datapad and told Bail to meet her at a cantina near Dex's Diner, which was a good half-hour walk away from the Imperial Palace.

She was gratified to get a swift reply and Leia continued her walk, utilizing her training as a Shadow to blend in with the crowd and appear unimportant. It wasn't completely unusual for people to wear hooded robes, after all.

Leia felt a sliver of apprehension the further away from the palace she moved, wondering if she would be noticed missing, and if she could get back before anyone realized she really was.

But Leia pushed on, keeping a level head until she at last entered the correct facility. She paused briefly in the doorway, unaffected by the few stares sent her way by patrons already inside. Once her gaze roamed the place and confirmed that Bail hadn't come yet, Leia took a seat in a corner booth.

A waitress came to take her order, and Leia chose something simple that she could pretend to sip to keep up appearances. After another ten minutes, the door opened again and though the figure who strode through was also hooded, she recognized his presence.

Leia saw Bail's hood turn her direction, and she nodded once deliberately.

The senator walked her way and took the seat opposite her. The waitress returned for his order, and while the pair waited, Bail spoke softly.

"Are you alright? Have they... hurt you?"

Leia's brow furrowed softly. "No, not really."

Bail relaxed. "Good. That is good to hear."

The man's drink came then, and the pair spent a moment playing the part of two friends there for a drink for a couple minutes. Then Leia straightened, leaning across the table some.

"Why am I here, Bail?" Leia asked softly.

"Do you remember our conversation in the Senate not too long ago?" Bail replied evenly. "When you admitted to a lower level you and the... um, your brother were afraid of?"

Leia's brow lifted, and she shifted uncomfortably. "Yes... why?"

Bail's lips lifted minutely, and he moved a hand across the table to rest above hers. "I think I have a way to get proof of things that go on down there."

Leia hesitated, but she couldn't deny that she was intrigued. "What do you have in mind?"

Bail released her hand and reached into his robes to pull a small container out of a hidden pouch. "Open it."

Leia frowned, eyeing the simple wooden box in indecision before her need to know bested her wariness. Besides, she trusted Bail.

Leia lifted the clasp and then the lid, opening the container only enough to get a proper look. She had to take a moment to study the two items within before squinting up at Bail.

"...what are they?"

"Spy droids that one of our techs put together," Bail replied. "These things are small enough to be able to roam around undetected and they can record and send data out on an untraceable frequency only the Alliance has the codes to."

Leia felt understanding dawn and she looked to the tiny spider-like droids in a new light. "I can see that now. But why show them to me?"

Bail again reached across the table, but stopped just short of taking her hand. "We need you to get them down there for us. We don't know how to get to sublevel twelve, Leia, only those who have been there do."

Leia's heart skipped a beat. "I can't go down there, Bail, I already told you."

"Leia, we need our help... _I_ need your help." Bail pleaded gently, but his eyes were earnest. "I know it's dangerous, and scary, and I am asking a lot of you... but you need to be brave, and be your own person. I will help you however I can, and protect you the best I am able."

Leia shook her head. "Let's forget that you are with the Rebellion for just a moment: I can't just _go down_ to sublevel twelve! I'd need a valid reason to avoid instant suspicion, and I don't have one. And even if I did... I don't know if I can stomach returning to that floor."

Bail considered. "May I be blunt?"

Leia was wary, but nodded once.

"If Prince Luke could attempt to break away, why can't you do so also?" Bail whispered.

Leia balked. "How did you know... it's not been made public!"

Bail gave her a patient look. "I have my resources, Leia. I know he's missing... and I am actually proud of him for trying to make it alone."

"Until he gets caught!" Leia snapped, unintentionally harsh.

Bail tilted her head, hearing the underlying fright: fear of Luke's future... and if he _had_ one.

"Leia, doing the right thing is rarely easy," Bail murmured. "But it's always worth it in the long run. The question you need to ask yourself is what are you willing to do to see yourself out of the life you live right now?"

At Leia's instinctive attempt at a rebuttal, he carried on over her, pointedly. "You are the only one who can change your reality, Leia. You can fight; you can make your own destiny, no matter the obstacles. I have seen you grow, have watched you blossom from a little child into a stalwart and beautiful young woman. You have greatness in you, Leia, not because of your birthright, but because of your strength of character. You are a true leader, a fighter... a winner. And if you were my flesh and blood, I would be the proudest father in the galaxy."

Leia stared for long seconds, simply computing the man's words before she lowered her gaze to the box in her grasp. Such kind, honest words... the kind of words that should have come from her own father or mother, but hadn't for years. The desire to be strong like Bail— like Luke— warred greatly with her fear of retribution from her parents.

Unfortunately, her fear won out, and Leia shook her head. "I... I can't."

Bail sighed softly, and Leia began sliding the container back to him, but he held up a hand. "Keep them with you just in case. I understand your fear. You just need the right push, is all."

Leia almost refused... but something in her caused the princess to tuck the container into her robe anyway. Then she recalled what else she'd come here for, and produced a datachip.

She slid it across to Bail. "Information you may find... useful. I will deny any involvement if you try to use my name as a source."

While his eyebrows rose in surprise, Leia stood, left enough credits on the table to cover both drinks and then left.


	15. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen:**

Han popped his head out and around the doorframe where Velius had stashed himself after loading the speeder full of parts the young man had returned with. Han didn't really care about the kid taking the speeder, but he didn't know what to think of the kid killing more of Zolar's men.

If the kid knew Han was there, he didn't give any indication, and this afforded the man a chance to observe the teenager in his natural element. No doubt this young man knew his droids and mechanics, Han noted after watching the deft manner in which Velius handled whatever he touched, cleaning and organizing it as he went.

Han and Chewie had finished repairs about ten minutes ago, and Chewie had mentioned to Han that once he'd finished with the housing unit he had let the kid go do whatever. But it wasn't until later that the Wookiee had mentioned the odd way Velius had reacted to Chewie's comments on death following him.

Han wasn't certain what it was that alerted the Kid, but abruptly Velius' head whipped about and Han was presented with intense eyes that relaxed moments later.

"Hi Kid. We're getting ready to take off, if you want to strap in," Han said as he approached.

Velius nodded almost to himself and began putting his things away. "Alright."

"So... why the build?" Han asked curiously.

Velius paused, looking to the smuggler. "What do you mean?"

Han lifted a pointed brow. "You're just going to randomly build a whole new droid from scratch simply because you can?"

Velius glanced to the surrounding clutter, and Han could see the cogs working in the other's mind. Clearly he hadn't been expecting to have to explain why he was doing this. Eventually the other sighed, and Han saw his shoulders slump some.

"Tinkering has always calmed me down... given me an escape from my troubles. And I miss it, and my... droid friend back home. But I also want to create something all by myself with things I didn't get from my f..." the other caught himself and swiftly changed his wording, "master."

Han frowned. "What was that?"

Velius began again to pick up his things, though his motions were more subdued than previous. "Let's just say I've not had much freedom of choice in my life. Everything has practically been handed to me in a sense. I need to do something completely on my own for once." Velius paused, a droid head in one hand that he looked at almost forlornly. "Even if it is just a droid."

He finished cleaning up and moved to exit the hold. "I'm ready to go now."

Han let the kid pass, gaze sliding between the teen and the pile of parts now sitting beside the speeder. And as he looked to the young man once more, he noticed the long black robe he wore again, almost as if by rote.

And that gave Han an idea, one he would act upon as soon as he had the chance. But first, they had to leave.

Han joined the others in the cockpit and started the ship up. "Let's leave this rock far behind."

Chewie bellowed his agreement and helped Han bring the ship to life. It worked beautifully under their guidance and Han smiled happily.

"We did it Chewie!" Han crowed.

[Yes, and it's holding together nicely.] Chewbacca replied.

Han and Chewie took the ship into the atmosphere, watching as blue faded to inky black and then the richer onyx velvet of deep space. Stars studded the void like diamonds, and Han smiled softly for a half second before he turned to Chewie.

"Put in the coordinates for the Tashtor System. We need to go see an old friend."

Chewie shifted somewhat nervously and Han grinned impishly. "Aw come on, she's not _that_ bad, is she?"

Chewie glared at Han and the smuggler laughed while the Wookiee input the coordinates. Minutes later they were ready to go and Han pushed the levers forward, taking them into hyperspace.

 **00000**

Darth Vader walked into the hangar bay Luke's ship was still inside, viewing the craft with a practiced eye. It had been shut down for some time, Vader could see as he drew near. The engines were cold and upon a closer inspection with one finger, there was even a layer of dust that showed it had been multiple days by now.

Vader's anger simmered deep within, but not enough to hamper his mission. He entered the vessel easily, motioning for his stormtrooper escort to remain outside. Vader saw nothing inside the ship to indicate Luke had turned coat. In fact, the thing was in pristine condition, nothing out of place, and in that at least, Vader felt a mite of pride. At least his son was tidy.

Vader wandered back outside after a time and felt the risen level of fear among the people in this city at the presence of the Empire, never mind it's Emperor. Even now the 501st was scouring the streets in search of any sign of Luke.

Vader had a different approach in mind, and he closed his eyes for a moment, opening himself to the Force. He searched for his son's presence, left behind like a trail, though by now it was faint with age.

Still, Vader knew his son, and though it took some time he located Luke's presence. With that solidified, Vader walked slowly along the same path Luke had taken, feeling his escort follow.

He found himself walking along the lesser-used streets in a route that took him to the side of a private hangar bay complex. There he discovered that a ladder leading upward had been unlocked and yet shut to avoid instant detection.

"Stay outside and search the perimeter while I go in," Vader commanded his soldiers.

"Yes, Your Highness." The captain saluted and he led his men onward, splitting them into pairs as he did so.

Vader ascended the ladder and ended at a roof access hatch. Opening it cautiously, Vader peered within and found himself inside the rafters of the building. Knowing he wouldn't fit as well as his smaller-built son, Vader nevertheless entered and followed his son's route to an office where he saw the main security console. Then the boy's sense doubled back some and went left.

After several minutes of climbing and jumping from beam to beam, the Emperor found himself in a cavernous bay that would fit a good-sized freighter.

Such as the _Millennium Falcon_.

Vader narrowed his eyes as he scanned the room from his perch high above. From here Luke could have observed his quarry for some time without detection, only going to the ground when he was ready for the kill.

Only, Vader knew that for some reason Luke hadn't performed the mission.

Vader sighed and dropped from his perch, landing with help from the Force and coming up in an ominous swirl of black robes. He stayed put, looking around and opening himself to the Force.

After a moment, snippets of things came to his mind on the eddies of the Force and the Emperor paid close attention.

 _...Luke remained silent as the man's emotions painted his face in different ways, from fear and shock to indignation and uncertainty._

" _Who are you?" Han demanded sharply..._

 _..."You're an inquisitor." The finality in the other's tone gave Luke slight pause. "Here to kill me for letting that Zabrak go."_

 _Luke's hand lowered a hair, the blade deviating from its angled position across his body._

 _Han swore softly. "I knew that choice would come back to bite me in the rear, but it was the right thing to do."..._

Vader made a sound of disgust as he observed his son's inner weakness showing forth. It would be just like the stupid boy to let something like that slow him down. Luke had stopped to question his role already, and it had only taken one sentence.

"What a waste," Vader muttered as he continued to receive snapshots.

 _... Han reached for his blaster again. Luke's lightsaber reignited in an instant as Han shot at him._

 _The smuggler's shots were redirected at him and the other shouted in alarm before ducking for cover behind the crates. Then Luke had to deal with the Wookiee, and he took a meaty fist to the ribs before he could catch it._

 _Luke's breath left him in a whoosh but he pushed through it and Force-shoved at the Wookiee..._

 _... Han was too slow to spin around and so Luke swept the man's feet out from under him. Han went down with a cry and Luke disarmed him before placing his lightsaber's blade to the other's throat._

 _But all the movement had caused Luke's hood to slip, and so when Han finally got a look at his attacker, he froze, his eyes widening in shock._

" _Stars... you're just a kid!" Han exclaimed._

 _Luke's lip curled: he was eighteen! "I am not a kid!"..._

Vader lifted a brow. Why couldn't Luke let that spark of anger become a raging inferno that would flush him with such power that he was _destined_ to wield? Why did he have to resist that?

 _...Chewbacca tried to advance a bit more as he noticed Luke's distracted state but Han, seeing the warring emotions in the young man's gaze, held up a hand, though his attention remained on the person before him._

" _You won't do it," Han stated softly._

 _Luke was swift to respond. "I will!" Luke hissed vehemently, twitching his blade for effect._

 _But Han remained steadfast, calm. "No. You won't do it because you don't want to. I see it in your eyes."_

 _Luke hesitated, but did not retract the weapon. "I must..."_

 _Han lifted a brow. "Why do you have to do the job?"_

 _Luke ground his teeth. "Because it's what I've been... trained to do. And if I don't then the retribution will be terrible." But his hand was trembling somewhat even as he continued to battle himself..._

"For the love of the galaxy, Luke just _do_ it!" Vader roared, even as he knew this was a past event.

 _... "You can break free, Kid," Han told the young man. "You don't have to do something you know is wrong. This is your chance to try something new. Just try it. Why not find out what it can be like outside of the Empire's watchful eye?"_

 _Luke glanced around pointedly. "Become a smuggler?"_

" _No; become a free person," Han corrected..._

 _... Luke gasped sharply. His hand shifted almost without his consent and shut off the lightsaber._

 _Luke moved away and dropped the weapon to the side. "Go... get out of here while you still can."_

 _Han had risen, but upon seeing the state the young man was in, the smuggler hesitated a moment. Finally, tentatively, he knelt beside the other. "Hey, come with us."..._

"Don't you dare..." Vader rumbled dangerously, a build-up of potent Dark Side energy amassing in him.

 _... Luke frowned up at the guy, but eventually gave in, hesitantly taking the smuggler's hand and letting himself be hoisted up..._

Vader saw red and he released his anger in a wash of violent energy that flattened, twisted or broke everything in its path. The sound was like an explosion and it didn't take long for his men to barge their way inside, weapons raised and ready for a fight and to protect their leader.

"Your Majesty, are you alright?" the captain asked worriedly as he approaches, weapon also hefted while he looked about in some confusion.

"We are done here." Vader snapped. "Recall all the men, we leave in an hour. Anyone not onboard gets left behind. Our target is no longer here. And get me a droid to search out where the _Millennium Falcon_ went: it was berthed here several days ago."

"Yes Your Majesty!" the man bowed and hustled off to relay orders.

Vader didn't bother to check the cameras himself: Luke had been taught well, and he would have sabotaged the security feed in this room.

Darth Vader strode with purpose back to his shuttle, taking off in it and allowing the others to find their own way back to the _Executor_.

As the shuttle flew, Vader considered his options, anger still potent. That insolent boy... how _dare_ he willfully abandon his position as Vader's Shadow!

He had to find the boy; he had to get ahead of Luke somehow... but in what way?

The Sith Lord raked his mind, and continued to do so as he arrived on his flagship and disappeared into his quarters with orders to Admiral Piett to leave within the hour.

Once locked inside his personal chambers, Vader paced a rut into his thick black carpet. There had to be a way to get to Luke from a distance, to unsettle him and destabilize him. If Luke got comfortable, Vader wouldn't have an easy time extracting him.

But if Luke had a reason to return...

The Dark Lord happened to glance up as he passed his desk for the thousandth time, and as ocher eyes settled upon the tiny collection of holos there, he stopped walking. Gaze riveted upon the smaller holo beside that of himself and his wife, Vader turned more fully and approached.

Reaching out with a gloved hand to pick up the frame, Vader continued to look upon it, and slowly a brazen smile worked its way across his face. Yes... there was one person Luke would care more about than himself, especially with her still at home while he roamed the galaxy.

It was a perfect plan, and Vader knew just how to do it. Palpatine had done so with Anakin Skywalker before his rise to Darkness, and Vader had also learned the technique.

Luke would be brought home, no matter the cost.

With his idea set, Vader replaced the holo of his twin children and settled into his meditation chamber to plot further.

 **00000**

Damielle had finished her preparations and was now searching out her mistress since the princess was late in coming. Leia had never been known to not come when she said she would. Perhaps she had been delayed.

But Damielle was suspicious of the princess' real reason for sending her off to cook at such an abrupt time. Leia hadn't been interested in food, but had clearly had her mind elsewhere during their earlier jaunt into the flora of the gardens.

Damielle pursed her lips as she entered the same grounds as before, walking along the path they had trod earlier. But though she walked slowly, Damielle did not see any sign of the princess.

Thinking now that perhaps she had missed the older girl on the way here, Damielle had to wonder if she wasn't being too tense since she was supposed to be working for the Empress.

So far the woman wasn't all that impressed with Damielle's reports, since she'd had little to report on. She had explained that Leia wasn't acting oddly, and thus Damielle did not have anything of value to give Lady Vader. But the Empress was certain that Leia would slip up soon, and Damielle had no choice but to defer to her wisdom.

A sound behind Damielle made her turn, and she jumped on instinct when a figure suddenly appeared. She let out a little shriek, a hand flying to her mouth. The figure opposite her startled also, though curiously she moved as though to draw a weapon.

The two teens recognized each other and simultaneously relaxed, though Damielle didn't have to fake the hand over her rapidly-beating heart.

"Oh, Milady, you frightened me!" Damielle all but gushed.

Princess Leia shifted into a straighter posture. "My apologies, I did not realize you were searching for me. Did you need something?"

Damielle opened her mouth, paused as something occurred to her, and instead frowned. "Forgive me, Milady, but where have you been?"

Leia allowed a light frown to crease her forehead. "I have been in the gardens, Damielle."

The redhead glanced behind the princess. "But... I looked for you, and did not see you. You were not there, Milady."

Leia placed a hand on one hip, tilting her head and giving Damielle a look that made her feel like a school girl misbehaving. "There are areas of the gardens that are not immediately visible. If you must know I was in a small clearing created by one of the gardeners by mine and my brother's request. It is a place we like to go to sit and either meditate or just have some peace and quiet."

Damielle didn't quite know if she should believe the other or not, but she knew when to fold her cards. The redhead dipped her head. "Forgive my boldness Princess Leia. I will try to be more respectful of your privacy from here on out."

Leia sighed. "That would be appreciated. And I thank you for preparing the meal like asked."

Damielle smiled politely and fell into step behind Leia. It was as they passed a side corridor that she caught a faint whiff of something. Damielle thought it almost smelled like smoke. But it was faint and was reminiscent of what one would find in a cantina.

Her eyes were drawn to the clothing the princess wore, and as they passed yet another corridor, the redhead confirmed her suspicions and knew she'd been correct before. Somehow, Leia had left the palace and gone out.

But why, and where?

Was it to meet someone, or was the princess just trying to get out of the house so to speak, and away from her oppressive mother?

Damielle recognized the trail of her thoughts and, a bit startled by them, she reined herself in.

But this would be something to report to the Empress that would make the other happy. Or so Damielle hoped.

 **00000**

Padmé settled back into her seat once Damielle's end of the line was disconnected. So Leia had gone out of the palace... but for what purpose?

Padmé thought she knew, but she wasn't one hundred percent certain. Turning to the golden protocol droid that she had reprogrammed years ago, she motioned him closer.

"Come here See-Threepio."

"Yes, Mistress Vader?" Threepio's voice was still the same prissy tone, but his personality flaws had been... well, _corrected_.

"Search the cameras outside the gardens on the lower level, and tell me when you find any evidence of Leia." Padmé ordered. "She will probably be wearing hooded robe if I know my daughter."

"Yes, Mistress." Threepio had been upgraded with a data port arm that could extend from a hidden compartment embedded in his left arm, much like that found on an astromech droid.

While the droid worked, Padmé sat back once more, and was preparing to order a snack from Irmé when her communications console on the desk chimed with her husband's secure frequency.

With a smile Padmé answered. "Hello Handsome."

Vader gave her a small grin in return. "Angel, how have you been?"

"I am fine. Any luck on finding Luke?"

Vader let slip a frustrated grunt. "No. I do know for certain he is onboard the _Millennium Falcon_. However I am still waiting for the droid who gathered the data to sift through it for me."

Padmé nodded. "Alright. Though... perhaps your task would be simplified if you sent out a wanted ad for him. You don't have to put that he ran off, but maybe the galaxy could find him for you?"

Vader considered. "I don't know. He may go deeper underground if we do. And our family will appear weak."

"Not if we play our cards correctly. Don't say Luke ran off; tell the others that he was kidnapped by Solo and the Wookie, who are now looking to bargain Luke's life for their immunity."

Vader pursed his lips, and then slowly shook his head with a half-sloppy grin. "That's why I love you, Angel. Can you make that happen?"

"Consider it done." Padmé was tapped on the shoulder by Threepio as she spoke and he gave her a datapad with the information she needed. As Padmé watched, Leia was traced by three different cameras until she entered a cantina. Several minutes later another hooded figure entered, and Padmé waited impatiently for him to come back out.

But though the figure did so— after Leia— the face was not visible.

Padmé ground her teeth some, and then realized Vader was speaking. "Padmé, are you alright?"

"I'm fine. What were you saying?"

Vader gave her an odd look. "I was commenting that with Luke on the loose, this could generate more attacks from the Rebel Alliance since I am busy and away from Coruscant."

Padmé eyed the frozen image of Leia in disguise on the datapad Threepio had given her. "Actually... I may have a way into the Rebellion, or to at least strike a terrible blow to them. Leave that to me: you focus on finding our son. I will have the notice sent out today."

"Thank you, Padmé. I trust you."

Vader reached out with a hand as if he wanted to stroke her cheek. "I love you, Angel."

"And I love you, Ani."

She was the only person alive who could call him that and not die for it. He gave her a tiny smile and signed off, leaving Padmé to her task. She sent out the request to have Luke's 'kidnapping' made public knowledge and then she decided to take a break.

She would come back to the Leia incident when she had a more concrete visual on whoever the young woman had contacted in that cantina.

Then she had a thought, sat back down and opened a new channel on her communications array, using it to contact her top spy.

"You summoned me, Milady?" the male Ansionian asked as he bowed.

"Yes." Padmé eyed his pale yellow skin and the short brush of dense fur that started at the man's forehead and ran up and over the head to the crown of his neck, ending in a ponytail. "I need you to go to the Lazy Lasat cantina and find out who the man in this image I am sending you is. Find out his name and bring it to me in person."

"File received, and I will obey," the man replied.

"Excellent."

Padmé signed off and finally ordered that snack.


	16. Chapter 15

**Chapter Fifteen:**

 _There was steam all around the darkened room. Nothing gave light except the ominous reddish-orange glow given off by the lava river below. The oppressive heat was ignored as a hooded man slowly paced around the figure kneeling upon the ground._

 _The one kneeling kept its head down, though their own hood hid the features of the person wearing it._

" _The job is done?" Darth Vader demanded of the one kneeling as he continued to walk about him in a calculating manner._

" _It is."_

A figure in bed shifted uncomfortably, recognizing the second voice and jerking in shock.

" _Show me." Vader ordered. "Leave nothing out."_

" _Yes Master."_

 _The hooded figure extended one pale hand and it was accepted by his master, his Emperor. Memories were shared, and soon it played before their joined mental eyes._

 _...women and children screaming, men trying their best to protect their families as the Sith Apprentice swept mercilessly through their numbers... none were spared that were found, and as commanded he let the wrath of the Emperor loose. These people would_ dare _paint their Emperor in a disrespectful light as they had? And to top it off, they had been behind the attempted assassination._

 _Well, not_ all _of them... but the Emperor wanted an example made of them. He wanted it known galaxy-wide what happened to those who tried to go against their Emperor in such a manner._

 _Women huddled, clutching shrieking children to their hearts as he swept his blade left, right, here and there. Walls were brought down on the larger structures so the building would collapse upon its inhabitants to save time._

 _And at long last, the actual assassins were approached, their agonized and red-rimmed eyes meeting his own with utter hatred._

" _You are a monster!"_

 _The lightsaber hummed as it was swung in a final arc, cutting the two down in seconds..._

" _I am impressed." Darth Vader said as he pulled away. "You have indeed made me proud, Luke. My son."_

 _Luke Vader lifted his head, yellow eyes glowing with the power he wielded. "Thank you, Father."_

"NO!" Luke cried as he sat bolt upright in bed, covered in a thick sheen of perspiration. His chest heaved, and Luke looked frantically around the dark space, half expecting the glow to still be there... though it _was_ warm...

Luke gasped and flew from the bed— caught up in the emotional high from his nightmare— and sprinted to find the first mirror he could, skidding to a halt and staring at his eyes.

When he was presented with brown instead of yellow— there was absolutely no ocher— Luke let out a deep, relieved sigh and sank to the floor, shivering.

Luke huddled where he was, wrapping his arms around his knees and rocking in place some. He squeezed his eyes shut against frightened tears and tried his hardest to hold it together. He was only partially successful; managing to hold back a sob but not the tears.

As the bad dream replayed in his mind's eye, Luke began to chant to himself 'It's not real... it's not real...'

This went on for several minutes before he was able to slow his racing heart and take a shuddering breath.

"I am Luke... and I am _not_ a monster... I am not... I'm not." He breathed.

He sat stock still for an unknown amount of time before— no longer tired and not daring to try sleep again— he stood on shaky knees and went to where he had his droid parts stored. Picking up the head, Luke lost himself in its construction, grateful for the work that would keep his mind away from the horrid dream.

 **00000**

Deep into the night, and within his personal quarters on the _Millennium Falcon_ , Han sat back and shook his head with a sigh. "Aw, this is hopeless."

He stared at the computer terminal he had been in front of for two hours now trying to find the kid something that would suit his needs like Han intended. But though he had searched and searched for a jacket with a hood deep enough to hide one's face while also allowing for perfect maneuverability, nothing had met his criteria.

The kid needed a jacket, not a robe, and he needed something that would to hamper him in battle. Han muttered under his breath and turned off the terminal.

He had really come to like Velius, and it wasn't taking Han long to see him as a friend despite earlier reservations. Velius' honesty in staying with the _Falcon_ on Vestar and not causing trouble for Han and Chewie despite ample opportunities had finally won the kid Han's hard-earned trust. Add to that the fact that Velius had saved Han and Chewie's lives more than once, and Han had to admit he didn't mistrust him anymore.

Also, aside from his battle skills and other abilities that had become apparent the more Han spent time with Velius, the kid just had a sort of hidden charisma and honesty to him that Han found oddly refreshing.

And... there was a deep vulnerability Han could sense beneath the outer shell the kid seemed to wear at all times. And this susceptibility called to Han's protective instincts like he'd not experienced before.

With all these things factored in, the smuggler wanted to help Velius, and he wanted to really give the kid something to cling to except his fear of a master that obviously had him on edge. Han wanted to help Velius get on his own two feet... _away_ from the Empire.

Han rose from his chair and moved to take his vest off, placing it in the closet. It was as he did this that the man paused, eyeing the article hanging on the farthest left of the rack.

Han frowned and shuffled the other clothes to the side so he could take a closer look at it. Surprise flitted through him when he recognized his old black jacket that Dewlanna had given him. It had been big on Han for a long time since it had been in fact a jacket meant for a young man.

That had been nearly ten years ago, and Han had been smaller, but of course now that he was an adult he had outgrown the item. But looking at it, Han thought it just might fit Velius. The kid wasn't fully fleshed out, but Han was pretty sure he was done growing height-wise, and judging from the kid's build, he wouldn't be getting stocky.

Han hadn't worn the thing in years... and the more he thought about it, the more he wanted it to go to a good cause rather than collecting dust and falling into obscurity. Besides, giving it to the kid felt like Han was honoring the Wookiee who had been a mother to Han. The smuggler was helping someone as she'd once done for him.

That realization, and the emotional memories it recalled for him, solidified Han's resolve and he swore then and there to be more of a friend to Velius, and to help him in his time of need.

It was Han's turn to give what Dewlanna had given Han: a _real_ second chance... and a true friendship.

Maybe it would deepen into brotherhood, who could tell? But Han realized then that in a rare exposure of his own, that he actually _wanted_ this.

He hadn't ever felt the need to be a friend and brother to anyone besides Chewie. Not even Lando was that close to Han and they had a good history together. So what was it about Velius that had Han looking deep into his own soul?

Whatever it was, Han found he didn't mind it where the kid was concerned.

With a soft smile, Han retrieved the coat. Dewlanna had also taught him to repair clothing and make basic stitches, even if it wasn't considered a manly skill by many. Han grabbed a large swath of the cloth he kept on hand for affecting repairs and sat down to stitch a hood together that would fit what the smuggler intended.

 **00000**

Luke sat in the hold once more, the droid head still in hand as he studiously put the entire component together. He had all the hardware and wiring in place, now he was testing the way the eyes would light up. So far they were too bright, and he worked to dim them to something more pleasing to him. A tweak to the left and the lights dimmed too much, so Luke adjusted right a hairsbreadth... there.

Luke held the head out and eyed the sockets. Perfect.

Setting the item aside since it was done; Luke picked up the main body section next and began gathering all the necessary innards. After that he began carefully inserting each component in its needed order and attaching wires before he secured it in place with screws.

He still got flashes of the nightmare every now and then, mostly when he paused long enough in his task for his mind to wander. His hands, though steady, were cold to the touch. Luke paused to take a few deep breaths, trying to ignore the problem, but the fact of the matter was he was still deeply afraid.

Willing himself to best his fear— and not entirely succeeding— Luke returned to his task with a deeper fervor, losing himself to it again.

 **00000**

This was how Han found him when he went searching for Velius to give him his gift. The smuggler, a little worried when he hadn't found the kid asleep, wandered the ship in search of his missing friend.

But once the smuggler saw what Velius was doing, he snorted to himself. Of course Velius would be in the hold, working on his droid.

Han frowned some. _But in the middle of the night?_

As Han studied the young man, he was able to see the kid work deftly with each component, placing them in as if he'd built a hundred droids before. Gifted indeed, Han thought.

At one point, Han stepped up. "It's looking good, Kid."

The young man spun, a hand instinctively dropping to where his lightsaber usually sat.

Han paused, holding up his free hand. "Hey, take it easy, it's just me."

Velius relaxed with an embarrassed flush, but Han noted only then a slight tremble in his fingers he hadn't seen before.

"Are you alright?" Han asked.

Velius' cheek twitched. "...no, not really. But I will be."

Han tilted his head. "What happened? I know you're not the deepest sleeper if your habits so far are any indication, but to build your droid instead of sleeping..." inspiration hit. "Was it a bad dream or something?"

There was a definite pause in the kid's work at that point, and his hands lowered to his lap while his chin tucked to his chest some. Han felt worry gnaw at him when the young man didn't answer for some time.

"Yes," Velius at long last whispered. "But I don't... I'm not ready to talk about it... right this second."

Han considered, but eventually nodded. "Alright. Well, do you have a second?"

Velius turned curious brown eyes his way. "Sure, what do you need?"

Han approached and took a breath before holding out the coat he had worked on. "This is for you."

Velius' eyebrows rose and he set the droid down. Standing, the young man looked first to the offering, and then to the smuggler.

"A... gift? For me?" Velius asked timidly.

Han lifted a brow. "Yeah. What, you've never had a gift given to you before?"

Something flickered across the other's face. "Not like this."

Han nodded once, slowly. "I'm guessing your master also had to approve anything you were given, huh?"

Velius' mouth thinned. "Yeah."

Finally, after another moment of indecision Velius reached out to accept the coat. He opened it, eyeing it with a mixture of curiosity, wonder and something else that Han couldn't quite identify.

Fingers were run over the fabric, over the pockets and stitching almost reverently before the kid's face softened and he actually smiled gently. Shifting in place some, Velius shrugged into the jacket and adjusted his arms some to get used to how it fit, as well as the weight of it.

Han watched him test the fabric, and the smuggler stepped forward. "This used to be mine. I see you wearing the robe all the time, and while that's all well and good, it's a problem for at least two reasons."

Velius' gaze was now fastened on Han's, listening openly.

"First, a robe is a dead giveaway, especially when you couple it with a visible lightsaber, as to your status as an Inquisitor. You really should find somewhere else to keep that particular weapon. Like a forearm holster. We could fashion something for you, make it so that with the flick of a wrist it's in your palm and ready to use, but not immediately visible to the public."

Velius was now looking at his right sleeve with great interest, and Han went on. "Second, that robe is a constant reminder of your past, the one you're trying to get away from. This jacket can be a mark of your new life, your fresh start. It's the new you, if you will. And I added a hood, since you like to conceal your face and all."

Han could see the cogs working in the young man from his expression and the way he gazed intently upon the fabric before he made eye contact with Han again.

Han was taken aback to see Velius' eyes moist. "Thank you." He breathed, "I've never received something like this... from anyone except one person."

Han coughed discreetly, slightly uncomfortable with the raw emotion in the other's gaze even as Velius relieved him of his stare and fastened the coat more securely.

"Ah, you're welcome. Take good care of it, okay?" Han punched the kid lightly in the shoulder. "But it suits you."

Velius's lips lifted. "Yeah... it does, doesn't it?"

Han nodded, patting the other's shoulder before he turned to leave. "I'll let you get back to your droid now."

He started to walk away, not seeing how Velius hesitated, at war with himself.

"...Han?"

The smuggler stopped at the others tone and turned. "Yeah?"

"I..." Velius paused slightly then shouldered on. "I need someone to talk to... please..."

Han eyed the kid, and at that single, vulnerable plea, the smuggler couldn't deny Velius. "Alright, I'll do my best."

They sat on a pair of crates and Velius looked to Han. "I'm scared. I really want to get away, and I am away, but I... I am terrified of my master catching up to me. You saw what he did to the last person who tried to jump ship."

Velius hugged his arms around his middle and suddenly Han was reminded of a small child. "And if my master catches me... he will try yet again, or probably work harder, to turn me into what he is... and that is why I agreed to go with you. I don't want to be evil! I don't want to be like... like D-Darth Vader! I want to be my own person but I... I don't even know _who_ I am!"

Han thought he was done, but a lone tear traced down the kid's cheek and he uttered one sentence more. "I don't want to be a monster."

Wide eyes regarded Velius, having not expected such a soul-bearing moment. The kid hadn't once revealed any of his life outside of his skills and such, never volunteering information. Han respected that, because Han knew how he felt: personal matters were best kept close to the vest.

Eventually, however, Han found himself responding. "You may not know who you are, but I can tell you what you _aren't_."

Velius' head lifted. "And what is that?"

"You are not weak," Han said seriously. "You are worth more than you've either been made to believe or think you are. I don't know your past, and I don't understand the Force, but you are not evil. If you do things under a master who gives you orders to follow, then that crime ultimately rests upon your superior's head, not yours. Doubly so if you're kept under duress."

"But it's not my master who as to look into the faces of my victims as I kill them, or to see what damage my actions cause afterwards," Velius replied. "It's my face they remember because I performed the act."

Han sighed. "Yeah... I get that. Look, I understand feeling like scum. For years I was a thief who worked for someone else. I was a kid and I didn't know any better at first, and by the time I was able to realize what I was doing I had little choice in the matter."

Velius blinked in surprise at Han's own sharing of his past, but took the proffered gift. "But you don't do that anymore. How did you break free and make your own life?"

"Actually, I applied at the Imperial Academy. My boss had to let me go free then, because the Empire doesn't share its personnel," Han answered. "And then I was required to look the other way when we came across a group of Wookiees that the Empire had recently captured and enslaved... and they tried to execute them for no real reason. I didn't stand for it, and when I freed them I had to get out on their same ship or be killed for treason."

Velius soaked in all that Han told him, and then looked to his coat, touching the fabric. "Do you think I will find myself, Han? I don't even know how to start. Where do I go? As much as I like the thought of freedom— no offense— I don't want to spend the rest of my life smuggling. I want to make a difference, to help people in need."

Han ran a hand over his chin, noting distantly that he needed a shave. "Well, I can't tell you who you are, Velius, only you can do that. However, where we are going... someone may be able to shed light on that. But even then, it's still up to you."

Velius nodded with a soft sigh. "I suppose it is."

Han stood, patting the other on the back. "You don't have to figure it out overnight, Kid. Why not try getting some rest, start fresh in the morning?"

Velius eyed the droid. "I... I'll finish my current task first, and then I'll take a nap."

Han shrugged. "Whatever you want. We still have a day and a half to go before we revert to hyperspace."

Velius nodded. "Alright. And thank you... for the coat... and the talk."

Han smiled minutely. "I'm glad I could help. Don't get shocked," he added with a wry smirk as he indicated all the wiring Velius was putting together.

Velius actually laughed softly. "Thanks."

 **00000**

Stars painted the obsidian velvet before him like millions of gemstones, each glistening in its own way. The view was unobstructed by other ships or defects in the viewport, and this allowed the aged man to gaze into the void of space without hassle, as was his custom.

Closing his eyes for a time, the man opened himself up to the Force, breathing in its revitalizing wash of peace and power. To him, it was like a drink of cool water to a man who'd been stranded in the deserts of Jakku, and he never tired of the Force.

As he used mental eyes to see the fabric of the Force, he discerned a ripple: or rather, a couple of them. Most notable was the deep, dark well that was more of a black hole than the ones found in the Maw. And in its own corner, as if to oppose this utter Darkness, was a second whirlpool of Light that was shot through with shades of fear, depression, sadness... and loneliness.

A third light, one centered around a young woman with the heart of a mother guru bear, resembled that of her brother's, though her streaks of Dark were a bit less than her twin's.

The figure at the viewport took a deep, cleansing breath, and was drawn from his musings by the slight disturbance much closer to him. Blue eyes opened as hurried footsteps approached, and he waited patiently for the incoming man to arrive.

"General Hurst!"

A head of grey that had once been auburn turned to regard the breathless, blue-skinned Selkath who now stood behind him. The being's three-fingered hand snapped sharp salute once the general's attention was fixed upon the younger man.

"What is it?" General Hurst asked calmly.

"General... you need to see this, Sir." The lieutenant produced a datapad and held it out for the other to take.

Hurst extended his left hand, and as he took the device the lieutenant's eyes slipped almost subconsciously to the man's artificial limb. But the young man shook himself out of it swiftly while his superior took in the information on the datapad.

"This has been confirmed?" Hurst bit back a sigh and looked up at the lieutenant.

The Selkath nodded. "I'm afraid so, Sir. What would you like to do?"

Hurst considered, glancing out the viewport again for a time as one hand came up to stroke his beard thoughtfully. He could practically feel the man behind him squirming as he awaited the answer.

Without turning, and with his left fingers still grasping the datapad, General Hurst finally spoke. "Contact Senator Mothma on Yavin IV, and also Admiral Ackbar on _Home One_. Tell them we need to meet in person."

"Where at, Sir?"

"Tatooine."

"Just Tatooine, Sir? Nothing more specific?" his companion clarified.

The hint of a smile touched the general's lips. "They will know where to go, Lieutenant. That will be all, thank you."

"Yes Sir."


	17. Chapter 16

**Chapter Sixteen:**

Kiida looked up when the door chime sounded, curious and even a little wary of who would be walking through the door.

When she saw a green skinned Vurk male walking towards her with purpose, she swallowed nervously and motioned to her two children playing on the floor to get behind the counter.

Boorie and Calan obeyed without question, especially when more armed people filed in after the Vurk.

"May I help you?" Kiida managed to keep her voice even.

The Vurk strode up to the counter like he owned the place even as his men fanned out and began a search.

"I am Zolar. You called me about some of my men?"

Realization dawned and Kiida nodded, pointing to the shelves. "The young man who killed them put them there and told me to call it in to you. I don't know who he is, and I didn't know he would be killing anyone, or I would have sent him away before helping him."

Zolar looked to the two closest men and motioned to the place Kiida had indicated. He followed them instead of answering, and Kiida didn't need Jedi powers to sense the anger that began to radiate off of the pirate.

"What did this young man look like?" Zolar demanded, coming back to Kiida.

Boorie whimpered and hugged her mother's legs, wide eyes regarding the large alien in fear. Kiida placed a gentle hand to her head and met Zolar's eyes.

"Dark hair, brown eyes, looked to be about... I guess seventeen? I am not a good judge of human age from mere appearances," Kiida replied. "But he used Jedi powers, if you can believe that."

Zolar swore colorfully. "I can, because this isn't the first time this... _boy_ has slaughtered my good men."

Zolar watched as his people began to carry the bodies away, and when Boorie caught sight of the impaled human, she turned green. Zolar thinned his lips, eyeing the family.

"You helped this boy?" he asked.

Kiida shifted. "Before I knew he would bring trouble, yes. I only thought he was a random customer. He did buy a lot of things from me, and I didn't question him until he brought those three here."

"He killed my men in your shop, woman," Zolar growled, and Calan, trying to be brave, stepped protectively between his mother and the man. Zolar's gaze slid to the youth, tilting his head. "And what are you going to do, boy?"

"Please don't hurt my mother," Calan spoke in a firm, but pleading voice. "She is innocent, and she didn't try to hide this when she could have. She was honest with you."

Zolar lifted his head some, considering. Kiida got a bad feeling about the way the pirate looked at Calan, and she grabbed his arm to tug him behind her.

"I think it's time for you to leave," Kiida stated.

Zolar leaned forward threateningly, and a few of his men fanned out in readiness for action should the order be given. "You are hardly in any position to make such demands, Woman."

"If you seek payment, or are here for more than information, take what you need from the store's supply and leave." Kiida's heart was pounding in fear, and she tried not to let it show.

Zolar looked around as if in thought. "Hmm, a good idea. We could do a lot with a number of these parts. Men, take what you want."

Kiida's heart plummeted some when they instantly began picking things up off the shelf and shoving them in bags, leaving almost nothing behind in their greedy wake. But at least she still had her children.

She eyed a white-skinned Twi'lek woman who entered and moved near Zolar. The Vurk turned as if to leave... and then spoke to the Twi'lek. "Take the boy."

Kiida shrieked when the woman instantly leapt over the counter. Kiida stepped firmly in between the stranger and her two children even as Boorie screamed in terror.

"Out of my way, junk dealer!" the Twi'lek snapped, and a power Kiida couldn't see shoved her away to slam into a far wall.

"Calan!" Kiida hollered as the Twi'lek grabbed up the boy and began walking out with him.

Calan shrieked and fought, twisting his body violently to try getting free. "MOM!"

"CALAN!" Kiida screamed, struggling to her feet and praying Boorie didn't try anything. Kiida rushed the woman but Zolar stepped between them and struck Kiida across the face so hard she saw stars. Blood filled her mouth and yet Kiida struggled still to reach her child.

"Please!" Kiida begged while sobbing and reaching for the child who was only getting farther and farther away while he cried frantically for her in turn. "Please don't take my boy! PLEASE! I WILL DO ANYTHING YOU ASK OF ME!"

"Your son for the lives of my men," Zolar stated heartlessly. "You can thank the young man you helped. And thank _you_ , by the way, for such a generous donation to the Jikati pirates."

Kiida was beside herself and as she scrambled after her child she tripped over something left behind by a pirate and when she fell she was trampled and kicked when the rest followed their leader and piled into the vehicles.

All the while Kiida heard the frantic calls of her son, and she was powerless to do anything except rise to her knees as the shuttles lifted from the ground and pulled for the sky.

" _CALAN!_ " Kiida screamed at the top of her lungs and finally collapsing to the ground, sobbing mightily.

 **00000**

It was a foggy night, with only the moon visible as the stars weren't bright enough to penetrate the thick mist. But that meant little to the camp of Jikati pirates who were in various stages of sleep, standing watch, or reveling in another day's spoils.

Auspa Vapasi, a Rattataki woman, looked up as several sets of landing lights appeared above them in the darkened sky of Delrakkin. Through the fog she couldn't make out the ship designs, but she still straightened, eyeing the lights with a keen interest. At first she thought it was Zolar returning, but then she noted the number of lights, and she knew that wasn't correct, and so she straightened, motioning to the pirates closest to her.

"Wake the others, be ready for a fight. I think trouble's coming," she told the other Jikati members.

One of them glanced to the sky and took off to sound the alarm while the second looked and then gazed at her. "Who do you think it is?"

"If I knew, I'd tell you," Auspa replied tartly. "Now _go!_ "

The other shot her a dirty look and then turned tail and started shouting about the camp while the audio alert system in their camp went off.

Auspa grabbed her weapons belt and strapped it in place, donning also her energy bow upon her back. The item shot arrows of energy instead of blaster bolts and was a formidable weapon in the hands of someone who knew how to use it.

All around her she heard and saw the rest of the Jikati pirates taking up positions about the camp or trying to find a good place to take a stand from. Auspa herself decided to take up a stance behind a thick pillar used for floggings.

Silence was swift to descend as the fog finally parted enough to reveal what kind of craft was landing. A ripple of fear went through the camp as they recognized the clearly Imperial vessels.

Auspa thinned her lips, willing away any traces of despair and instead preparing herself to fight. "Hold steady! They won't take _us_ easily!"

Several near her position murmured their assent and lifted weapons as the Imperial landing ships whirred for long, ominous seconds. Then the ramps lowered with an air of foreboding and with swift, calculated precision a wave of stormtroopers descended.

Armored as they were in the greens the Empire had switched to from the white of the Clone Wars, the troopers all but disappeared into the night of the jungle. This made them nigh-impossible to aim at too, but Auspa took aim anyway, counting on them still being clustered near their ships and taking random aim.

She loosed several arrows from her bow in deadly precision, and was gratified to hear three stormtroopers die with final screams. Taking a page from her book, other pirates also opened fire and hoped their shots hit something.

A few more troopers wet down and then red flashes came in at the Jikati pirates and in seconds five pirates that Auspa could see were killed. She stayed firmly against her pillar and then saw a man next to her go down... his night-vision goggles still upon his head.

Risking life and limb, Auspa dove for his body, snatched the goggles and then had to skip around blasterfire as it rained down upon her. She felt some heat touch her ankles, but Auspa leapt back behind her pillar and donned the goggles.

It took precious seconds for her eyesight to adjust, but when it did, Auspa stepped out and reasserted her aim with the bow. She spied a cluster of troopers trying to sneak up on the medical tent, and Auspa took three of the four out with three precisely aimed shots.

Auspa spun when something stepped up behind her and the man lifted his hands in surrender.

"Don't shoot, I'm friendly!"

Auspa swore. "Kriff it Derryn! Don't sneak up on me like," she saw something over the man's head and shot the trooper trying to kill her friend, "that!"

Derryn hunkered down on instinct when she aimed his way, and then looked to her. "What does the Empire want with us?"

"I don't know, but it can't be good," Auspa replied, placing a blaster into his hands since he was without one. The man instantly looked for something to shoot. "But ask questions later. Shoot now."

"Right," Derryn replied as he stood at her back, lowering his own goggles and adding to the damage she was causing.

Auspa noticed that the Imperial troopers were still coming, and she wondered just how many there were... and then a new sound penetrated the chaos, and despite herself she shivered.

Unable to contain her morbid curiosity, Auspa leaned out and watched as a tall, proud form all but flew off his shuttle and began to mow down pirates who were trying to come at the ships to destroy them and end the influx of stormtroopers.

A crimson lightsaber moved like an extension of the man's hand, and Auspa narrowed her eyes as she watched yet more of her friends be killed.

"Auspa, don't do anything stupid!" Derryn whispered when he caught sight of her.

Growling low in her throat, Auspa leapt from cover and took aim as Darth Vader was busy moving in at another cluster of pirates. A grenade was launched at a squad of troopers coming at the main building of the camp and the flare from the explosion lit the Emperor up like a destroying angel.

It also momentarily blinded Auspa, as her goggles were meant to see in the dark. But her aim had already been true, so she loosed an arrow. She regained her vision in time to see the Emperor spin in a flurry of robes and then her arrow was deflected... right back at her.

She leapt aside and charged the man while shooting more arrows his way. Darth Vader turned fully towards her and lifted a gloved hand. The weapon in her grasp jerked free and went wide left.

Not halting in her stride, Auspa produced a vibroblade next and descended upon the Emperor with a vengeance. The man's lightsaber met her blade easily, and she traded several fierce blows with him before something grabbed her by the throat and Auspa's eyes widened in alarm.

But then she saw his upraised hand, with fingers clenched just so and she knew what was happening. Unafraid, and determined to defy to the last, Auspa met the Emperor's gaze defiantly even as she gasped fruitlessly for air.

She was pretty sure her vision was fading by the time the man before her tilted his head and released her. Auspa collapsed to the ground, heaving in great gulps of air even as she was surrounded and abruptly the fighting ended when the Emperor barked out a command that rang through the air.

"ENOUGH!"

Auspa wondered at how all pirates instantly froze, and she realized only then that some power she didn't understand held her in place. Then she recognized that the Emperor was more than likely using the Force to hold everyone down while swarms of more stormtroopers filled the camp to hold all those still alive at blaster point.

"Round them all up and bring them to me!" Emperor Vader commanded.

The power left her and Auspa waited and watched as her remaining Jikati friends were gathered and herded into the middle of the camp like nerfs. All the while she was the focus of the Emperor, who regarded her with something akin to... was that respect she saw?

Maybe, even if it was just a glimmer.

Once the group was complete, with a thorough search of the camp being had, Auspa saw a stormtrooper marked as a commander approach Darth Vader.

"That's all of them, Your Majesty."

"Good work Commander Cody." Vader praised. "Their leader was not found?"

"No, Majesty." Cody gestured. "But we have a droid looking into the logs of the landing field. It is possible Zolar is off-planet."

"Very well."

Vader paced before the group of pirates, eyeing them as if they were a bunch of slaves ripe for the picking. "Let me make myself very clear: you are now mine. Your lives now hinge on your obedience to my commands. You serve _me_ , and when Zolar returns, he will too."

"And why would we do that?" someone demanded from the back.

Vader lifted a gloved hand and choking sounded even as a shadow passed over the heads of those kneeling on the ground. Auspa recognized it as Cole, a well-known troublemaker even among their ranks. The kid never did know when to shut his trap, Auspa mused as the young man went blue moments later and then sagged limply.

However, the Emperor did not drop him, instead holding his body up for the rest to see. "Would anyone else like to question me?"

Silence reigned, and Auspa felt the fear around her increase. Vader turned to Cody. "Hang this thing up for all to see and remember."

"As you wish," Cody replied and with an exchange of orders the body was taken and positioned in a strategic place in the camp so all could see.

"You may return to your bunk rooms, but my troopers will follow you," Vader announced. "No one may leave without permission."

Vader gestured and the group of pirates rose and began to file off.

Auspa was moving to follow her queue when the Emperor spoke from behind her. "What is your name?"

Auspa turned, lifting an imperious brow. "Why do you care?"

The man came closer, and Auspa could see his glowing yellow gaze boring into her. "I could execute you here and now for attempting to kill me, but I left you alive."

"You're so kind," Auspa remarked acerbically.

Vader eyed her for a time, and then she could have sworn she spied his lips lift. "I admire your spirit, woman, but your tongue not so much."

He gestured and her arms were taken and she was brought before him by three stormtroopers. The Emperor touched her head and she felt icy fingers scratch through her mind as the man used the Force to search out all the answers he needed.

Auspa screamed in agony as he went wherever he wanted, taking all facts he needed by force and not caring how much it hurt her. Through her Vader gleaned everything on Zolar's whereabouts, and the fact that the kid hanging with Solo and the Wookiee had killed several Jikati and that was why Zolar was after blood.

She felt his was disappointed that she hadn't actually seen the boy wonder, but Vader did know they had gone to Vestar, and that was where Zolar had been... and was now on his way home.

When Vader saw all he needed he retracted his Force probe with the same suddenness that he'd entered with. "Thank you for your cooperation... Auspa."

She panted even as black fuzz closed in on her vision and she slumped to the ground, knowing no more as she slipped into unconsciousness.

She never heard Vader give orders for all Imperial ships and personnel to be hidden so Zolar wouldn't see them upon his return.

 **00000**

Padmé looked up as Irmé appeared. "My Lady, you have a visitor."

The Empress nodded, gesturing. "Let him in, and bring refreshments."

"Yes, Your Highness." Irmé bowed and left to do as she asked.

Padmé stood from her desk and seated herself on the couch situated near the window in her office. Across from it was another of the couch Padmé sat upon, and between them stood an oval coffee table.

She waited with great anticipation as her informant, who had called ahead for an audience with her, was admitted. He entered with a deep bow and Padmé nodded to him.

"Your Highness, you look as lovely as ever," the male Ansionian said.

"Thank you, Tai-San," Padmé returned, gesturing for the other to take a seat.

Tai-San Zih bowed again and sat across from her. "I have the information you requested, Milady. You won't believe who I caught in my net so to speak."

Padmé lifted a brow, and he went on as Irmé placed a tray of food and water between them on the table.

"It is none other than Bail Organa of Alderaan, Milady," Tai-San said triumphantly.

Padmé sat up straighter. "You have proof of this?"

Tai-San produced a datapad. "I had to use a lot of spy tech, but I ran the face through the Imperial database... it's a match."

Padmé took the datapad and looked at the holo and the information next to it, as well as the official seal of the Imperial Police upon it. She grinned toothily and felt triumph sear her veins.

"Excellent work, Tai-San," Padmé said happily, gesturing for him to eat his fill. "This is exactly what I needed."

As the informant ate what he wished, Padmé looked through the rest of the information on his datapad, already trying to plan out how she would handle this.

She would not be able to outright kill Bail herself, but she could have it done and then work the man's death to her advantage in more than one way. And she would teach Leia a lesson in the meantime.

But who to have perform the act?

Padmé pursed her lips, eyeing her spy and then taking note of Irmé in her peripherals. A thought struck Padmé and at first she dismissed it, but then she paused... and decided it was perfect.

"I have another task for you, Tai-San," Padmé said, and the man looked to her curiously. "I want you to get me all information on the family of my daughter's handmaiden. I want it all, and I need it by tonight."

Tai-San blinked, but then rose, reaching for his datapad. Padmé made a copy of his files and stored them on her personal datapad and only then gave it back.

"At once, Milady." Tai-San bowed and left to do as she'd ordered.


	18. Chapter 17

**Chapter Seventeen:**

Darth Vader sat in his commandeered room that had once been Zolar's. The man had a luxurious taste, that was for certain, with silken sheets one could slide across, a plush couch Padmé would die for and a wampa-hide rug on the floor.

But Vader wasn't here for the decorum. No, he just needed a quiet place he could work undisturbed. He opened himself to the Force and began to concoct his false vision, sending it out along the Force to find its intended recipient.

 **00000**

Asleep in his bed, Luke at first didn't register what he was getting from the Force, but slowly the images permeated his subconscious enough to draw him to awareness, and then he went rigid in his bed.

 _..."Luke... Luke help me!"_

 _Leia was looking up at him from the ground where she lay, and then her gaze turned toward a figure in a mask and dark robes. Leia tried to back away, but with her injured leg and middle, she couldn't._

 _She was dressed as if for a mission, but the blood seeping into her clothes indicated just how seriously hurt she was._

" _Luke!" Leia pled; something that ended in a shriek as the robed figure grabbed her ankle and began to drag her off. Leia fought and kicked but it was to no avail. She was dragged with terrified screams into a vehicle that took off with her, leaving a trail of crimson in her wake._

" _LUKE!"..._

"Leia!" Luke cried as he jolted awake, sitting up so fast he hit his head on the bunk above him. "Ow!"

Head now throbbing, Luke cringed and closed his eyes, placing a palm to his forehead as he tried to calm down. Had that been a vision of the future... or was it happening right now?

Deeply troubled, Luke stood and paced the room desperately, shivering as he had before with his nightmare.

"Leia..." Luke breathed in despair when he couldn't make any headway.

Feeling caged, Luke left the room, not noticing the set of pale blue eyes that was now watching him in a mix of concern and perplexity.

For whatever reason, Luke ended up in the ship's cockpit, where he sat and watched as the mottled view of hyperspace passed by. He was on edge, and hoping that the scene before him could calm him down.

He wasn't expecting for the communications console to beep. Blinking in mild surprise, Luke bit his lip, glanced behind him and then activated it out of sheer curiosity.

What he saw only made him feel worse.

There was a news report that had been sent to Han by someone named Lando Calrissian detailing how Han and Chewbacca had supposedly kidnapped Imperial Prince Luke Vader. And to make matters worse, there was Luke's holo clear as day on the page.

Swallowing, Luke bit his lip, looked behind him again and then with shaking fingers deleted the message.

Han and Chewie couldn't know who they had on board... but by deleting this, was Luke making matters worse?

Luke was rapidly losing his control, and to avoid damage to Han's precious ship, Luke left the cockpit.

The young man walked the _Falcon_ until his frayed nerves refused to obey his command to remain calm. With a half-whimpered growl, Luke grabbed the training remote he had brought along and set it to the most dangerous level while its lasers set to not injure anything on the ship. Then he retrieved his weapon and dropped into ready-stance.

Luke ignited his ruby lightsaber and deflected the hail of laser-blasts that came his way, releasing his emotions into the action. His blade flew here, there, front, back, and through all zones as the remote shot at him from all angles and without mercy.

Not a single attack was missed, and Luke still wasn't sated. Once the remote shut down for the first round, Luke instantly set it off again. Tears began to roll silently down his face, his vision blurring, but Luke only delved deeper into the Force, trusting it to guide his every move.

He kept at it for some time, moving through four separate rounds of this before his quivering body finally forced him to stop. Luke fell to the floor amidst choked-off sobs that he could no longer hold at bay. Images of Leia being dragged off by an unknown assailant had him on edge, and yet... he couldn't shake the gut feeling that all wasn't as it seemed.

He still missed the surreptitious gaze of Chewbacca as the Wookiee watched him to see what was going on. Eventually, however, the Wookiee made himself known by stepping from the shadows.

Luke caught the movement in his peripherals and jumped, looking up as the towering being approaching.

Worried that the Wookie may have seen Luke in the cockpit, the human prepared for a scolding. But the Wookiee merely sat beside Luke and offered a gentle hand to his shoulder.

[You are a very troubled young man, even for a human, Velius,] the Wookiee commented without ire. [And considering I spend all my time with Han, that is saying something.]

Luke, despite the situation, managed a tiny laugh, but his mirth was only skin-deep. He shook his head, not looking at Chewbacca. "I... I _am_ troubled. Deeply."

The Wookie studied Luke for some time before he spoke.

[Why did you leave your master in the first place?] Chewbacca asked.

Luke blinked at his tears, wiping away the moisture with his hand as he shook his head. "I've wanted out for a long, long time now, but haven't had the courage to do so. It wasn't until... my mission to kill you two that I had the... _push_ I guess I needed to leave my... Master."

How sad was it that a son could no longer call his father anything but Master? Luke mused sorrowfully.

[But why?] Chewbacca pressed.

Luke blinked up at the Wookiee now. "What do you mean?"

[What made you so loath the life you live that you would leave it in such a manner?] Chewbacca clarified.

Luke stared for a moment, and then looked down in thought. Why not be honest about this?

"Because I hate what I am forced to do, what I have been trained to do... and who I have become under that training and the ever-watchful eye of the man I call master." Luke took a deep breath. "I hate killing for him, and I don't want to be evil... I want to be a free person who does good in the galaxy like... like the Jedi used to do. I don't believe the stories told by... the Emperor. The entire Jedi Order couldn't have been evil, right?"

Chewbacca looked to the youth. [Speaking from personal experience; no, the Jedi were _not_ evil. They were honorable beings with the good of the galaxy's people at heart. They lived to serve the Force and help people; they were guardians of peace and justice, fighting to protect those who couldn't do it for themselves.]

Luke's eyes widened and he suddenly paid rapt attention. "You know the Jedi?"

[I did.] The Wookiee corrected sadly. [During the Clone Wars, Jedi Master Yoda helped my people to defend our homeworld from the Separatists. He was a good friend, and we loved him. I miss him, but he disappeared at the end of the Clone Wars. I do not know if he died, or if he managed to live and go into hiding.]

Luke looked down again. "Sometimes... I wish they were still around. The one time— and really the only time, since I learned my lesson— I mentioned Jedi I ended up in serious trouble. That's when my training truly began. I wasn't old enough at the start to realize it then, but now that I am older I can see that I was being brainwashed and worked to the point of exhaustion so I would forget all about the Jedi and think like Vader instead. But I can't... I can't be like him. I _won't_ be like him."

[Ah...] Chewbacca rumbled gently, touching a finger to Luke's heart. [There it is.]

Luke blinked in confusion. "There what is?"

[Your true reason for being here right now instead of back with Vader,] Chewbacca answered. [All this time you've said you don't want to be, and can't be like him. This last time you said you _wouldn't_ be like him. Won't versus can't.]

Luke took that in with a wide set of eyes, and then looked within himself, seeking to validate Chewbacca's claim. And for the first time, Luke realized that it was true.

"Wow... I... I never looked at it like that." Luke admitted softly.

[Someone I met once told me that things usually happen from a person's point of view,] Chewbacca told the young man. [You must choose how to see the world, and yourself.]

Luke nodded slowly. "Yes."

They fell into a companionable silence for a time before the images of Leia returned, and Luke grew solemn once more. "I really, _really_ wish I knew the Jedi's art of meditation. I could really use some peace of soul right now."

[I am sorry; I cannot help you with that one.] Chewbacca tilted his head, bringing up old memories of his own. [But perhaps if you quieted your mind? From what I observed, Master Yoda was always calm, and he didn't let emotion control him.]

Luke lifted a brow, and then nodded slowly, considering. "I guess it's worth a try. Thank you Chewbacca."

[You may call me Chewie,] the Wookiee told the young man, squeezing his shoulder gently. [I know you've earned Han's trust, but now you have my respect.]

Luke dipped his head, his deletion of the file coming to mind. "Thank you..." Luke whispered, ashamed of himself for what he'd done.

He stood, needing an escape. "If you don't mind, I would like to shower and clean up before we arrive."

Chewie nodded. "Go ahead. We should be reverting soon anyway."

Luke managed a weak smile and stood.

[Who is Leia?] Chewbacca asked suddenly, and Luke froze, heart wrenching in momentary dread. Did the Wookiee know who Luke as after all?

But Luke sensed nothing like that in the Force and so he relaxed some, muttering out an answer and praying the Wookiee didn't catch the half-truth.

"My best friend."

Luke turned and disappeared before the Wookiee could question further.

 **00000**

Damielle knocked on the door to the Empress' quarters, waiting nervously for admittance. She didn't know why she had been called before the Empress, but for some reason Damielle couldn't relax. She hadn't fallen behind on her reports, and she had so far done everything ordered of her by the Empress.

The young woman straightened her dress as the door opened and Irmé allowed her in.

"This way," Irmé said, leading Damielle to the office.

Damielle followed obediently, noticing the yellow-skinned man in the hallway as she did so. Frowning, and wondering what was going on, Damielle was let inside and then the door shut behind her, but not before the Ansionian stepped inside also.

Damielle frowned worriedly, but at a cough from the desk, the redhead remembered her place and turned to bow deeply. "Your Highness."

Padmé eyed Damielle in a way that only served to further set the girl on edge. "How have you been, Damielle?"

The young woman blinked. "Ah... I am doing well, Majesty, thank you."

"And you enjoy working for my daughter?" Padmé pressed.

Damielle tried to keep her face impassive, but nodded once.

"Good. And Leia has accepted you?"

"I believe so, Milady." Damielle shifted uncomfortably.

"Excellent. And you will continue to make friends with her. She will come to trust you." Padmé's words were a statement, and Damielle sensed that she should not answer, even as Padmé shuffled some datachips on her desk.

"I have a new task for you, Damielle." Padmé at last began, and Damielle straightened.

"Yes, Milady?"

"I need someone... taken care of, and you will be my _helper_ in this matter." Padmé looked Damielle in the eye.

The redhead frowned. "Taken care of? You mean this person needs help?"

The Ansionian snorted behind her and Padmé spared him a glance, then met Damielle's gaze seriously. "No, Damielle. He needs to die."

The redhead balked. "I... y-you want me to... _kill_ someone?"

"Yes," Padmé said simply.

Damielle's mouth hung open for a long minute, and she couldn't help but shake her head. "N... no! I can't! I am not a murderer!"

Padmé's eyes flashed and Damielle back-stepped warily. The Empress stood and leaned across the desk in a threatening manner, causing the young woman to swallow with difficulty.

"Tell me, Damielle, how is your family?" Padmé asked, and Damielle froze. "I hear they work a farm on Tatooine? It's ironic, because my husband has... family there as well that also farms for moisture. I suppose someone has to on that dust ball."

Damielle was trembling now, and she only nodded, unable to speak just yet.

Padmé stood up straighter and continued. "I also hear that things are not going well on the farm. The harvest has been almost nonexistent, what with their broken moisture vaporators and the lack of farm-hands since they can no longer pay the hired help. Things aren't looking so hot for them, Damielle. This is why you left them to train as a handmaiden. I know part of your pay goes to help your loved ones back home."

Padmé paused for effect. "Would you like to see them?"

Damielle's gut turned to lead and she didn't get a chance to respond before the Empress touched a key on her desk and a holo screen appeared above the desk to show Damielle a perfect view of her family's farm... held under armed guard by two squads of the Empire's elite stormtroopers, one Inquisitor and a heavily armed speeder.

"You will do this job, or things may get a _little_ messy for your family," Padmé said.

Damielle gaped, horrified before she chalked up her courage. "No!"

Padmé's eyes narrowed. "You don't seem to fully understand: your service and loyalty to me for their continued survival. They will be supplied with food and other necessities so long as you are obedient to me."

Damielle glared at the Empress, finding her voice at last. "My family is proud, they won't accept charity!"

Padmé's lips lifted imperiously. "Your father wouldn't have... but we both know he is no longer around, don't we? He died two years ago from a Tusken Raider attack, and now you work here on Coruscant to provide for those remaining."

To Damielle's horror, the feed zoomed in to show her mother and young sister kneeling in the sands with several blasters pointed at them.

"So what will it be, Damielle?" The Empress asked. "Our window of opportunity is small, and I need an answer soon."

Damielle gazed open-mouthed at her family... her beloved mother and little sister, who was crying in fear while hunkering down next to the adult woman beside her. And Damielle deflated then, unable to watch her family be massacred because of her own stubbornness.

"Please, Milady... I can't kill someone," Damielle whispered. "Isn't there another way?"

"No." Padmé snapped. "Give me your answer or they die."

Damielle heard the click of several rifles, and even the added measure of the Inquisitor's lightsaber igniting. When her sister screamed in terror, Damielle cried out an answer.

"I'll do it! Just don't harm them! Please!"

Padmé smiled victoriously. "Wise choice. Your family will be held until the job is complete and I have proof of death, then they will be allowed to go about their lives on the farm while under the Empire's watchful eye."

Damielle's shoulders slumped, and she nodded, defeated. "Yes Milady."

Padmé gestured to the Ansionian, who stepped up and produced a vial. "I know you aren't proficient with any weapons that would be silent, so use this poison. Bail Organa will be at the Diamond Spectacular restaurant after his meeting in the Senate. Slip seven drops of this into his drink and then I want proof he's dead."

Damielle took the vial with a heavy heart and then nodded. "As you wish."

 **00000**

Leia sat beside Bail in their meeting, listening half-heartedly as a senator across from them droned on about how his idea would vastly improve their proposition. Leia was of the opinion that the man just wanted to hear himself speak, and so she shut down, turning to Bail and receiving a small, knowing smile in return from the man.

Leia couldn't quite hold back an amused smirk, and so she hid it by taking a sip from her water glass.

Finally, two hours later the assembled group of dignitaries broke for the day and Leia all but sagged with relief. "At last. I thought we would never settle that proposal."

"Senator Yul has always been long-winded," Bail replied, looking to her with smiling eyes. "But he does have a few good points."

Leia sighed. "You're right."

Bail nodded once and eyed the leaving group. Leia did so also and noted the absence of one key member.

"Where is Mon Mothma?" Leia inquired, looking to Bail.

"She had to take a few days off for a personal matter," Bail replied somewhat evasively, and Leia got the distinct impression he was telling her Rebellion news. "But she should be back soon."

"Let's hope all goes well for her then," Leia replied in kind.

Bail eyed Leia. "Indeed. By the way, I am... sorry to hear about what happened to Prince Luke."

Leia thinned her lips, looking away in a moment of anger. They both knew the wanted-poster Padmé had sent out was loaded with half-truths. Luke hadn't been kidnapped at all, but Leia knew it was probably better for the general population to not know any differently. At least for now.

"I am too," Leia answered quietly, unable to hide her loneliness completely. "I miss talking with him... but at least I have you."

She risked taking his hand for a moment in a chaste manner that a daughter might do with her father. She felt Bail's surprise, but he responded by squeezing her limb lovingly before he released her since they were in a public setting and didn't need false rumors starting.

"Do you have time for lunch?" Bail asked as they neared their speeders.

Leia spied Sergeant Quane waiting by the vehicle she was to take and sighed. "I'm afraid I can't. I've been confined to the Palace whenever I am not doing Senate work."

Bail dipped his head in acknowledgement. "Alright."

They got to the speeders and to Leia's surprise, Quane stepped forward. "Princess, you've been granted permission to have lunch before you return home. Where would you like to go?"

Leia blinked in total surprise, but though she was a little wary, she smiled. "I will go to lunch with Senator Organa, since he just invited me along. Thank you Sergeant."

Quane nodded, getting the location from the Alderaanian and then taking Leia there himself.

 **00000**

Damielle had her disguise in place and she was ready to deliver Bail Organa's usual drink order out to the table. The man and— to Damielle's continued dismay— Princess Leia had been at the restaurant for thirty minutes now, and the man had asked for a refill on his drink.

This was her chance, and Damielle took it, confident that her looks were altered enough that not even Leia would recognize her by sight.

 **00000**

"The gift you gave me the other day is still in a safe place," Leia was saying as they continued their meal.

"Good to hear," Bail said of the spider droids they were talking about. "I hope they come in handy some day."

"I'm sure they will, but if there's some chance I need you to show me where to get more and I can't get you on the comm., who else can I ask?" Leia inquired quietly. The noise level of the restaurant, while not obnoxious, was enough to hide their conversation from ears not right next to their table.

"Senator Mothma is actually the one who helped me acquire the perfumes, Princess. I had to ask her which ones she thought you might like," he added a slight blush to sell his act.

Leia smiled some, and dipped her head, not looking up as Bail received his second drink. She did feel a stir in the Force, however and frowned softly, looking around for the disturbance. She saw the back of the head of their waitress, but though something seemed off about the person, Leia was drawn back to the present by Bail's voice.

"If I'm not available and you need help, she will be there for you," Bail was saying as he lifted his drink and took several long sips. "Don't be afraid to let her help you."

The brunette nodded her understanding. "I know I can trust her too."

Bail smiled. "Good. Oh, Winter wanted me to say hello... for..." Bail trailed off as something in him shifted ominously and he turned white as a sheet right before Leia's gaze.

"Bail?" Leia asked in deep concern.

The man looked to her, morbid fear in his eyes as he placed a hand to his heart and fell from his chair.

"Bail!" Leia screeched, flying from her own seat as people around them reacted in horror at the scene happening before them. "Someone call an ambulance!"

Bail was gasping for air and Leia could feel him in immense pain as his presence in the Force faded swiftly. Desperate, Leia reached for his spirit.

"Bail, stay with me! Please..." Leia begged, already crying as she lost her tenuous grasp on his life essence. It was bleeding steadily away and Leia bowed her head to his shoulder.

"Don't leave me..." she pled brokenly, weeping.

"Leia," Bail breathed in a weak voice, touching her head lovingly. "I have loved you... as a daughter for many... years now."

Leia lifted her head, tortured brown eyes meeting his fading ones. He was smiling at her like her father never had.

"And I've loved you as a father," Leia whispered, kissing his cheek. "More-so than my own."

Bail, since Leia was so close, kissed her forehead in return with the last of his strength. "Be... s-strong... Leia... You are... a v-very... special y-young L-L-Lady..."

Quane appeared then, trying to tug Leia out of the way, but she snatched her hand away, snarling at him to leave her alone.

She turned back to Bail, but the man was already going limp.

"No..." Leia begged in a broken whisper, touching his face with shaking fingers. "Please no..."

But Bail's head lay back on the ground and his chest went still, his eyes darkening forever.

Leia stared, open-mouthed, at his prone form, not realizing how she began to rock and cry harder until she reached trembling fingers to close his eyes. Then she bent over him and sobbed heavily into his chest, unaware of how Quane cleared the area for her privacy.

 **00000**

Light-years away, Luke abruptly sagged in the refresher as Leia's immense grief hit him like a tidal wave. Her anguish called out to him stronger than the vision had, and Luke found himself slumping to sit on the floor, a hand clutching his heart as he wept for her. He didn't know what had happened, only that his sister was in pain like she'd never known before.

"Leia..." Luke mouthed around his tears, cursing himself in that moment for not being there for her, and praying she could forgive him.

 **00000**

Damielle was also in tears as she returned to the Empress, a video of the entire ordeal in hand. Seeing how Princess Leia had taken the man's death had hit Damielle hard, and yet... she had a family to protect.

She was admitted without trouble into the Empress' quarters.

"You have proof?" Padmé asked, even as the news story played on the screen on the wall.

Damielle felt ill, but handed over the video and was forced to listen to it again as the Empress played it.

Padmé's private little smile angered Damielle, but she was powerless to do anything, so she only waited.

"You have done well, Damielle." Padmé praised. "You may go now, and I don't have to tell you to keep this under wraps."

"Yes Majesty," Damielle bowed and left, wondering how she was going to keep playing innocent with Leia now. She would have to work hard at it, that was for certain, and pray the Princess was too distraught to notice.


	19. Chapter 18

**Chapter Eighteen:**

Luke sat back at long last after hours of work and viewed his finished project with an air of finality. A warm, satisfied smile lit his face as he gazed upon the fully assembled droid.

Now all Luke had to do was activate the droid and make sure she worked. Luke had given the droid a female personality, but was hesitant to name her yet, wanting to see her respond to him first.

With a deep breath, Luke flipped her activation switch, lowering the panel that hid it once he had done so.

He was gratified to hear the nearly silent whir of the droid's servomotors and other systems activating for the very first time.

The head was still the angular, conical shape reminiscent of an old Trade Federation battle droid, but with smoother lines. Her tri-part body was connected with flexible wiring tubing that was also sturdy enough to protect the circuitry within. A pair of arms extended from the shoulders to end in four-fingered hands that could shift into a hold-out blaster on one arm, and a knife in the other.

Also in the right arm was a data port connector like Artoo Detoo had. And instead of legs, Luke had used powerful repulsors to let the droid move around. The entire droid wasn't much larger than a four-year old human child and he liked it that way.

"All systems active," the droid's smoky female voice said as her photoreceptors lit up properly and focused on him. "Ready for service, Master."

Luke smiled. "Activate program 2187-Skywalker."

The droid was silent for a few seconds while she processed his request. Then, "Hello, Master Luke."

Luke nodded. "What is your function?"

"I have multiple functions: human relations, guardian when needed, piloting, companionship, data gathering, repairs on mechanics and other basic functions."

"Excellent." Luke praised, and then spoke in a softer voice. "But for now call me Velius."

"As you wish."

He heard boots approach and glanced back to see Han and Chewie arrive, though they stopped in surprise to see Luke's floating droid. Luke smiled softly at the two and then turned back to his droid, eyeing her with a good feeling.

"Now you just need a name," Luke murmured. He'd given it some thought, and now his list of candidates floated to mind, though he kept coming back around to one.

"Nella."

The droid paused, her head tilting curiously. Luke had given her some personality software, not wanting her to just be a mechanic, but something more of a friend like Artoo.

"I am Nella."

"It means light." Luke supplied.

Han and Chewie approached then and inspected the droid for themselves. "You do really nice work, Kid," Han said. "You could have a future in droid building if you don't find anything else to do."

Luke laughed quietly. "Thanks Han."

"We're almost to our reversion point, so strap in," Han instructed.

"Alright."

 **00000**

Calan, despite his best efforts, shivered from the deep cold of space as he watched Zolar and his pirates pilot them towards some planet he'd never known existed. Calan had heard of the outside galaxy, but had never left his homeplanet.

And while he wasn't opposed to sightseeing, never had he imagined it would be as a slave he would 'see' the galaxy.

Zolar was speaking to his people in what Calan assumed was the cockpit, and from his literal pet cage bolted to the deck near one bulkhead, Calan was powerless to do anything but watch.

Just as he had been unable to do anything but scream and watch as his mother and sister got further away from him. He still recalled Kiida's broken screams as she'd begged for him. Calan, being only eight, already missed his mother terribly, and wished there was some way he could go home.

At some point Zolar returned to the lobby where Calan was being kept, and as he settled at the table nearby, Calan watched him for a moment. The man took out a blaster of some sort and began the process of stripping and cleaning it.

Though the sight did pique Calan's interest, he spoke in a timid voice. "Why did you take me?"

Zolar barely glanced his way. "Because your mother harbored the murderer of my men."

"I don't know what 'harbored' means," Calan said, earning himself an annoyed look from the man. "But my mother was innocent! She didn't know that guy was going to kill your friends! Please, she didn't do anything wrong!"

Zolar snapped to his feet, and his lash of fury shocked Calan back against the wall of his cage. " _That idiot killed my best friend!"_

Calan shook with fear, eyes wide as the Vurk stormed across the space to hover dangerously above the child. Calan hunkered down as far as he could while the alien continued to rant.

"He killed Prand, he killed several of my men on Delrakkin, and then he went on to murder three more of my best people in _your mother's home!_ "

Zolar slammed a fist onto Calan's cage and the child whimpered. "You are now my slave; it's a fair exchange for the lives of three good men. Now shut up and only speak when given permission to, understood?"

Calan, too afraid to cross the man, only nodded.

"Good."

Calan saw the white Twi'lek woman who'd grabbed him appear then. "We revert in two hours."

"And then we will find a way to bring this _boy_ down once and for all," Zolar rumbled, returning to his blaster.

 **00000**

Hours of the night had been passed in tears, wandering her apartment aimlessly or just staring without seeing at the cityscape beyond her many windows. Those had been hours in which Leia had constantly mourned her lost father-figure. And she wanted for noting more than to honor his memory, his last request. But how?

A plan had begun formulating in her mind halfway through the night, and the more she'd sat upon the idea, the more it had called to her.

Now, Leia sat stoically in her office, watching with hard eyes as her mother spoke in a press conference. Bail's funeral had been arranged to be held on Alderaan, and Leia would be there if it killed her.

" _...has been confirmed that Senator Organa was in fact a leading member of the Rebel Alliance. We believe his death was to negate any chance by his own traitorous people that we could regain our missing prince,"_ Padmé was saying on screen.

Anger bubbled in Leia. She wasn't naïve: she knew Padmé was behind the fiasco with Bail, and she had meant it to be a lesson to Leia. The young woman knew without a shadow of a doubt that Padmé had been behind the assassination. Leia could feel it in her gut _and_ in the Force, but she didn't have proof.

As Padmé continued to drone on about how they would find the missing prince and assured the galaxy that Bail's family was in fact innocent— Leia snorted at Padmé's obvious attempt to single Bail out from his family as if he'd been hiding his actions— the princess stewed in thoughts of revenge and hatred of the woman before her.

When she caught herself at some point, Leia shut off the screen with an audible sound of disgust, standing and moving to the window. She stood there for a long while, staring off into space as her mind worked.

 _Be strong Leia..._ Bail had urged in his final hours.

Leia closed her eyes against bitter tears. She would not go Dark on Padmé, but Leia would not just sit back and watch Bail's killer get away with this. Something shifted in Leia then, and she stood straighter, her resolve hardening as her decision was made.

Padmé had meant this as a 'lesson' to her daughter... well, the mother was about to get a taste of her own medicine. Padmé had taught her daughter well, after all.

Turning from the viewport, Leia grabbed up her Artoo-specific datapad and called for the droid. While he was in transit, Leia sat at her computer and did a thorough search of the data she had already collected for the Alliance, finding the shipment that was closest to her timeline.

Finding it, Leia downloaded all pertinent information and then erased her search from the databases.

Artoo arrived then, with Damielle allowing him entrance. Leia was too busy in her mission to notice how Damielle wasn't acting like herself.

She dismissed the redhead and knelt before Artoo. "I need your help, Artoo."

The blue and silver astromech beeped and whirred and Leia managed a tiny smile for him. "I need you to deactivate the tracker and other systems on my personal ship that my parents can activate..."

Leia trailed off. "Wait, that won't work..."

Artoo turned his photoreceptor closer towards her, bleeping curiously. _What won't work?_

Leia stood, pacing some and putting a hand to her chin. "I don't want my parents tracking me, but I also can't deactivate my ship's tracker completely or they will know something is off."

 _You need a second ship._ Artoo supplied.

Leia looked to the squat droid. "Yes, but where will I get a clean ship in such a short space of time?"

 _From the abandoned collection in the warehouse,_ Artoo replied.

Leia blinked. "But won't it be missed?"

 _No._ Artoo answered, somewhat sadly. _None of those ships are inventoried regularly, and one of them is actually scheduled to be permanently scrapped. It will suit your needs, and I can have it waiting for you somewhere._

Leia was already nodding slowly. "Have it meet me on Alderaan, I am going to Bail's funeral, and I need to leave from there to meet some... friends."

Artoo beeped. _It will be done._

Leia smiled now and placed a gentle hand to his dome. "How can I ever thank you?"

 _What are you planning to do, exactly?_ Artoo inquired.

Leia glanced out the viewport. "What I should have done long ago."

Artoo eyed her for a moment, and then bumped her leg gently. _Please be careful, Mistress Leia. I will help however I can, but I don't want you to get hurt._

Leia patted his dome. "I promise to be careful Artoo. Just have my ship ready, and send the data to my 'pad."

 _I will._

Leia waited until the droid was gone before she returned to her desk and activated her comlink. Putting in a specific set of codes, Leia waited for the recipient to answer.

She kept her face calm as Darth Vader appeared before her on the desk.

"Leia, what is it?" Vader asked.

"Father, forgive me, but I wanted to request time off for a... personal matter," Leia answered with the perfect blend of subservience and firmness.

Vader studied her. "I heard about Bail Organa," he finally said. "I am... sorry. I know he was a good mentor of yours. A friend."

Leia dipped her chin somewhat. "He was. I... I would like to attend his funeral, pay my respects. Please, Father."

Vader looked away, considering, and Leia wondered what was going on in his mind. Finally he sighed.

"I grant your request." Vader glanced off-screen and then looked back to her. "Be careful, Daughter."

"I will, and thank you." Leia bowed her head as the man signed off.

Leia, almost not believing her luck, packed a few belongings and then made for her door. She did pause long enough to instruct Damielle to tell Padmé where Leia was going to be and that Vader had allowed it.

Then she left the apartment. It was of little surprise to find Sergeant Quane outside her door, and he blinked in surprise to find her with a bag in hand.

"Princess, are you going somewhere?" Quane asked mildly.

"Yes," Leia replied succinctly. "I have been allowed a trip, granted to me personally by the Emperor. You are not to interfere. I can take care of myself, Sergeant."

The man hesitated. "Princess..."

"The transmission is recorded on my personal comm. in my office if you need proof." Leia cut him off. "Good day, Sergeant."

She felt his shock at her behavior, but didn't dwell on it. She made haste for her ship and took off before her mother could find out and ruin this trip too.

When she achieved hyperspace Leia only then sat back with a sigh.

 **00000**

When the _Millennium Falcon_ exited hyperspace, Luke was rewarded with a beautiful view indeed. He'd heard of this planet, but had ever had occasion to visit before today.

"What is Takodana like?" Luke asked curiously, unable to contain his need to know. He was able to momentarily push his worry for Leia to the back of his mind and focus on the green and blue orb before him.

Nella hovered unobtrusively in the background, observing the interaction of those around her.

Han chuckled knowingly. "It's densely forested with large lakes and sports a temperate climate. But we aren't here to sightsee, so be careful not to stare when we get to our destination."

Luke eyed the smuggler. "And where, exactly, is that?"

"Maz's place. She's run this watering hole for a long, long time," Han spoke while he and Chewie brought the ship into the atmosphere. As they flew over the landscape Luke felt his breath momentarily stolen away. "But though this may seem odd, this place is neutral ground. No politics are allowed in Maz's place, and if you have _business_ with someone in there, you take it elsewhere."

Luke nodded almost absently. "Why are we seeing this Maz?"

"She can help us... get some work," Han muttered.

Luke frowned at his demeanor, and was about to ask when the man finally landed and stood.

"Let's go."

Chewie made a peculiar noise and Luke gave him an odd look, but the Wookiee passed him by and that left the young man alone in the cockpit, save the droid.

"Nella, please remain onboard," Luke instructed.

"Yes, Master Velius." Nella replied, and Luke gave her a small smile.

Then, with a sigh, Luke lifted the hood of his new jacket— he'd really taken a liking to it— and joined the pair outside.

Han secured the ship and they all made their way down a shore towards a towering building that looked like it had been built centuries ago. Flags of all kinds hung in an open-air courtyard that led to a double-set of wooden doors. Some of the banners fluttered in a faint breeze, and Luke allowed himself to breathe in the fresh air, relishing the warm sunlight on his face.

Then the doors were opening, and despite himself Luke felt the slight shiver of foreboding. Swallowing nervously, Luke stepped in behind the smugglers and did his best to blend in.

He put his training to use and let his eyes roam without staring, taking in any details he could while Han and Chewie occupied themselves with finding a seat.

Music wafted towards Luke along with smoke and the scent of alcohol. Small groups of people sat about game tables of different kinds, while others sat in various stages of comfort about food tables, nursing drinks or enjoying the company of the other sex.

Luke took note of the many species of aliens present, some of which he'd rarely seen before. Of course, living on Coruscant there was a plethora of aliens, but there was also a level of bias among the humans there that Luke hated.

Luke also saw that many eyes had slid toward he and his companions despite what Han had said and Luke had to force himself to not shift in place.

Then, almost as if a thunderclap had happened within the building, a voice rang out clear as day, cutting through the din like she owned the place.

"HAN SOLO!"

Luke _really_ felt the eyes on them now, and he waited tensely for someone to try something, but to his immense relief no one did. Luke sighed despite himself when the cantina around them returned to its previous state.

But now Luke was presented with the most curious sight. A woman no taller than a human child just into their tenth year approached, her orange skin leathery and showing age. Upon her eyes were a set of goggles that seemed to enlarge her gaze, and Luke could sense something about this woman that had him both wary and somewhat comforted.

Han muttered something to Chewie and then waved, coming forward also so as to meet the lady halfway. "Hello Maz."

Luke did a double-take. This was Maz?

"Han Solo, are you bringing trouble into my home?" Maz asked in a voice that told Luke she really was in charge here.

Han sighed. "Good to see you too, Maz."

The woman rolled her eyes, and smiled at Chewie. "Hello there, Chewbacca. Are you still hanging around with this fellow?"

Chewie nodded, and Maz snickered. Then her gaze happened upon Luke and she tilted her head curiously.

"And who is this?" the woman asked, coming forward and looking Luke up and down.

Luke shifted despite himself.

"This is a new friend: Velius," Han informed the woman. "He's learning the art of smuggling."

At that Maz snorted in amusement. "Smuggling? An art? Please."

She eyed Luke again and the young man was shocked to feel a certain aura of the Force about her. But clearly she wasn't a trained Force-user... so just who was this woman?

Maz studied Luke for a moment more before something in her gaze changed and she waved them deeper into the room. "Come, eat. You must be hungry... and I know you want something from me. Again."

Han and Chewie followed, with Luke moving at a slightly slower pace. They ended up at a table in the back, and Luke sat in the seat facing the door. Maz brought them food on serving platters a little later and only when she put an empty plate before the young man did he realize just how hungry he was.

"This is for us?" Luke clarified.

"Yes," Maz answered, a wry grin on her face. "You must eat real food while you have the chance. I am impressed you have survived this long on these two's cooking skills."

Chewbacca let out an indignant growl and Han glared at Maz, who only laughed.

Mouth watering, Luke thanked the woman and grabbed at some of the meat. He took a few other things as well and downed them with all the eagerness of an eighteen year old. And it _was_ good food...

But Luke's relaxed state of being stuttered to a surprised halt at what Maz spoke next.

"Are you here to get Jabba's crosshairs off your backs?"

Luke looked up and to his right where Han sat, even as the man's face paled. Chewie pounded a fist on the table, startling Luke further and he managed to swallow his current bite without choking.

"Jabba's after the two of you?" Luke asked incredulously. " _Jabba the Hutt_?"

Han shot Maz a dirty look and then turned to Luke. "You know of anyone else with that name?"

The young man blinked... and then sat back, his food now forgotten. "That shipment... it was to earn money to pay off Jabba, wasn't it?" Luke felt a wave of fear for his new friends. "That's what you two were really doing that day."

Maz eyed the trio as Han debated whether or not to answer. "You didn't tell him."

"Well, we didn't exactly _know_ he had put a target on our backs," Han snapped, but Luke could hear the dread in the man's tone.

[But we did,] Chewie corrected softly. [We knew if we missed that job we'd be in hot water.]

Luke glanced about them with a new awareness, and saw that more than one person was now still discreetly eyeing Luke and his companions. But though a few stares passed Luke, they didn't seem to recognize him.

Luke recalled the memo he had deleted from the Lando character and swallowed. His friends were in grave danger because of Luke... first with this flyer they were unaware of, and now Jabba...

"You are safe here, young man," Maz murmured, catching on to Luke's worried disposition. "What happens outside these walls, however, I cannot vouch for."

Luke returned his attention to her and was alarmed to find her leaning more heavily in his direction. Luke trembled just a tiny bit, and a sweat broke out on the back of his neck.

"What are you looking at?" Luke whispered when he could take it no longer.

"Your eyes..." Maz responded, her stare so intense Luke had to avert his gaze.

Luke frowned at his plate and then felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Maz, that's enough. Leave the poor guy alone, will you?" Han chided mildly. "He's been through more than you know."

Luke didn't feel Maz's eyes leave him for a few more intense seconds and then the pressure was gone. Luke almost sagged with relief. He stared at his plate and then returned to eating to hide his discomfort while Han and the others continued talking.

"Jabba has set a hefty price to your heads, Han." Maz informed the man. "Considering the reward amount, you must owe him a lot."

"Yeah..." Han sighed, running a hand over his chin. "We need a way to get that money and pay him off so he'll get off our backs."

"I do not think it will be so easy anymore," Maz said. "He wants you more than his money anymore it would seem."

Luke tried to follow, and to not judge the smugglers. It wasn't the end of things that Han and Chewie hadn't told Luke their predicament. And Luke hadn't exactly been forthcoming about his own issues, had he?

The young man stiffened when he heard Leia's voice whisper at him again.

 _Luke..._

His head shot up, and he looked about almost frantically, but though he didn't see her, he heard her again.

" _Luke..."_

Unable to help it, Luke sank back into a vision...

 _Leia was sobbing, her hair a mess and her nightgown sitting twisted over her frame. She looked towards him with puffy eyes that were red from crying._

 _Her face was ruddy, but when she looked to him, Luke felt her sense of betrayal that he wasn't there for her in her hour of need._

" _Luke... I need you... where_ are _you?"_

 _Leia's voice cracked and she hugged her pillow to her chest. "Please... come home... I_ need _you... Luke..."_

Luke gasped back to full awareness and in the same instant shot up from his seat at the red-hot anguish that her betrayal stung him with. His haste to escape it sent him over the back of his chair, toppling the furniture with him as he landed in a tangle of limbs and furniture.

Breathing hard, Luke struggled to reorient himself in reality even as a few people came to stand over him. Luke saw them and blanched.

Rising swiftly to his feet, Luke feigned nausea and took off blindly, ending up down a set of stairs that went underground. No one followed him, thankfully, and so Luke was able to stop at a halfway point, panting.

He leaned an arm up against the doorjamb nearest him and placed his head in the crook of the elbow.

 **00000**

Deep in the shadows, a figure in armor watched as the commotion occurred, and with a predatory smirk, the figure left in the confusion unnoticed. He made his sure way over to the _Millennium Falcon_ and set a black-market tracker in a hidden location.

With an air of anticipation, the bounty hunter walked away.

 **00000**

Leia stood in the line of assembled guests beside her friend Winter, who had her head bowed mournfully as Bail's casket was pulled through the silent streets by two white beasts of burden reserved for such occasions.

Leia lifted a wet face and looked upon Bail Organa's still face as he passed, promising him silently that she would carry on his work until the Rebellion won, or Leia died trying. She watched patiently as the procession filed past and then whispered words to Winter before she bowed out gracefully.

As promised, Artoo had gotten the second ship to Leia on Alderaan, though she was surprised to see it had been he who personally piloted the ship. He wheeled down and whistled at her as she approached the ramp.

 _Where are we going?_

Leia considered, not worried at all about Artoo's companionship. "Tatooine..." she murmured, allowing the Force to direct her. "Set course for Tatooine."

 **00000**

"I know who you are."

Luke spun with a startled gasp at the sudden voice, gaze finding Maz's almost immediately. Luke quivered, backing away from her.

"You wear that disguise, but I can see it's really you... it's _finally_ you." Her voice dropped to a bare whisper. "After all this time... I never would have guessed he meant _you_. And of all people... why didn't I see it before?"

"Who are you, and how do you know who I am?" Luke asked fearfully, missing her statement's awkward meaning. "Are you going to turn me in?"

Maz held out a hand in a peaceful gesture. "Calm down, young man. I am not here to harm you. I want to _help_ you."

Luke stopped moving, frowning. "H-help?"

Maz approached slowly. "Look at me, Luke."

At her use of his true name, Luke gaped momentarily. But then something in him whispered trust and he slowly sank to a kneeling position before the woman. Hesitantly, Luke met her gaze.

"I want you to _really_ look at me," Maz told him gently. "With _your_ eyes."

Luke considered, and then carefully removed his contacts to reveal his true blue eyes beneath the brown lenses he'd been wearing.

Maz held his gaze anew now, and Luke let her.

"I see in your eyes years of pain, loneliness... fear. You hate what you have become under Vader, but you do not know how to take a stand against him." Maz touched his face, and a few rogue tears escape his control.

Luke felt an unexpected measure of comfort at the... motherly touch upon his face. When had Padmé ever touched him like that? Only when Luke had been a toddler, and never again since his training had begun in earnest.

He only now realized just how deeply he'd missed that.

Leaning into her needfully, Luke whispered back. "I don't know who I am... I know what I have been made into... but I... I'm lost."

Maz nodded slowly. "I see that. And I think I can help you. Or I know who can. Close your eyes, Luke."

He did as instructed and waited patiently to learn where this was going.

"Now, look into yourself. And don't just look into your mind; no, you must gaze into your heart, and to the very core of yourself." Maz continued.

Frowning somewhat, Luke hesitated. "My core?"

"Yes. The center of your being."

Luke considered, wondering if he was brave enough for that. "What will I find?"

"Only you can answer that, my child," Maz answered patiently. "But there you _will_ find your answer."

Luke flinched. "I don't think I am ready for that answer just yet."

"Maybe not... but when you find it, come back to me and I will guide you to the next step." Maz pulled away and Luke replaced his contacts, blinking moisture into his eyes.

"How do you know me?" Luke asked again.

"Through a friend." Maz patted his hand. "But I will not send you to him until you are ready. You must be fully dedicated to that path first."

Luke tilted his head, a new question coming to his mind. "How do you know the Force?"

Maz smiled softly. "I am nearly a thousand years old, Luke. I grew up knowing the Jedi and the Force, though I am hardly a Jedi myself."

Luke's eyes widened. "You know of the Jedi?"

"I do, but I am not a teacher. That will be my friend's role." Maz glanced back, where Han— whom she'd asked to wait— was now coming down, unable to hold back his worry any longer.

"Think of what I have said," Maz told Luke softly.

"Wait," Luke hurriedly whispered before Han could arrive fully. "I've been having visions. How do I know if..."

"Kid, are you alright?" Han asked, breaking the moment.

Luke sighed deeply. "Yes, sorry, I... something frightened me."

Maz straightened. "Velius, an answer to your last question I don't really have, except to think about _why_ you'd be having these visions. Maybe therein lays the answer."

Luke tilted his head, not really sated with the answer, but he supposed it was better than nothing. "Thank you, Maz."

"Kid, we need to go soon, we're starting to get many a dirty looks up there." Han grouched, and with that he began to tug Luke up the stairs.

Luke, knowing what Han didn't, pulled his arm free and walked on his own. "Alright, let's go."

So caught up was Luke in thinking over his conversation with Maz that he didn't notice the slight shiver of warning that travelled through him, mistaking it as a chill of cold instead as Han and Chewie piloted the ship away.

 **00000**

Three people sat in a hut that nestled the edge of the Jundland Wastes on Tatooine. A sad air was present as they too mourned the loss of a dear friend.

"Bail will be sorely missed," Mon murmured, gazing at clasped hands that rested in her lap.

"He was a good friend, and an excellent strategist," Admiral Ackbar agreed in his gravelly voice.

Though they were holding a moment of honorary silence for their fallen comrade, it was a curious one.

Their third party member had been abnormally silent, and Mon eventually looked up at him. "General, may I ask just why you keep postponing the start of this meeting?"

The man was gazing out the small window near his door, and then turned with a small sigh. "I feel now that we may begin."

General Hurst took his seat at the small table and held their gazes. "As you are no doubt aware by now, the Alliance has been painted as kidnappers. The Empress has released a statement to the public that we are responsible for the disappearance of Prince Luke."

Mon frowned. "How is that possible?"

"It works in the Empire's favor, actually," Hurst answered. "They can paint us as not so noble while the Empire goes on hiding the real reason behind Luke's absence."

"We have not kidnapped the boy, nor do we know anything about his absence," Ackbar stated. "But the public will not see that after Bail's death."

"Empress Vader spun his assassination— for we all know it was that— to her advantage, and gained favor for the Empire in the process." Mon sighed. "It's a perfect political move, and now the Alliance will have a harder time looking like a good thing if we are shown as kidnappers and murderers of our own people."

"Indeed," Hurst said calmly. "The public was told that we had our own loose end taken care of, as Lady Vader put it. Our recruitment numbers may lower drastically after this."

"For a time," Ackbar disagreed. "Then we will let this pass and, with more success on our end, we will regain support."

"But that will take time," Mon argued. "Not to mention Intel we don't have access to. We cannot find any new shipments because the Empire got really quiet about those kinds of things months ago."

To the alarm of Ackbar and Mothma, a noise grew overhead until a large cloud of sand was kicked up outside.

"A ship?" Mon asked warily. "Landing in this exact spot?"

Hurst was looking out the window. "I believe an opportunity has just arrived, Mon."

With that he stood, walking outside while the other two traded looks and then shuffled out of sight.

 **00000**

Leia, who had followed the Force in where to land, had been a little wary at first on the directions given her. But once the small structure came into view, complete with three small, separate ships, she relaxed a bit more.

But she still had to convince these people to trust her.

Leia's gaze lifted when she felt a gentle probe to her spirit, and she was rewarded with the sight of a man in a hooded robe gazing at her landing ship in utter calm.

The brunette frowned curiously, but didn't comment as she landed the ship and let Artoo shut it down. Leia rose from her seat, checked her gear, and then exited the ship via the lowering ramp.

Leia walked toward the house with more confidence than she felt, eyes holding that of the figure awaiting her. When she stopped three paces away from him, she had to wonder at why this man seemed... familiar.

"Princess Leia, this is an... unexpected surprise." The man's voice was calm, and yet she heard the gentle power behind his words. This man wasn't someone to tangle with, but she also knew instinctively he wouldn't harm her.

Leia lifted her chin. "I am here to offer something to the Rebellion."

The older man tilted his head. "How can we know you mean us no harm?"

Leia thinned her lips, but then pulled out her lightsaber and blaster and held both out to him. "Take these. I come in peace."

Again he studied her, and Leia felt another gentle probe to her spirit before the man smiled minutely and turned.

"Come, we must get indoors." He walked back inside, and Leia hesitated only a moment before she followed.

Inside she had to allow her eyesight to adjust, but she didn't need eyes to feel the shock in the room from its two other occupants.

"Princess Leia?"

Leia turned her head to meet the gaze of Mon Mothma. "It's me, Senator."

Her gaze travelled to the Mon Calamari man beside the senator. "And you are?"

"Admiral Ackbar," he answered, the other's bulbous eyes regarding her openly. "Why are you here, Princess?"

Leia glanced at the robed man, who had lowered his hood now. "I come with a gift, and a request."

"Go on." The robed man invited.

Leia took a breath and met each of their gazes firmly. "I wish to become a member of the Rebel Alliance."

Glances were traded and then Mon stepped forward. "Forgive me, but we have been trying to get you to help us for... a long time now. Why the sudden change of heart?"

"Because before I didn't have the proper motivation," Leia responded. "I do now. My mother had Bail murdered. I know this but can't prove it. And I will not just sit back like a licked puppy and let her get away with it."

Before they could question her again, Leia went on. "I will not stay with the fleet. Instead I will be a double agent, giving you what information I can and helping however I am able to without giving myself away to my parents." She produced a datachip. "To prove my intentions, here is a supply run you can intercept and raid. A trio of Imperial Corvettes will be taking a shipment of medicine, food and weapons along the Permelian Trade Route in three days time. You can intercept them at Roche and commandeer the ships or just take whatever cargo you can get your hands on. Just try to minimize innocent casualties."

Leia stood back from the table, and after some silence the robed man took her offering and looked at the data with his own datapad. The trio of Alliance High Command members huddled together and conversed for some time, while Leia tried repeatedly to place the robed figure.

When the threesome turned back towards Leia, she saw Mon smiling. "Welcome aboard Leia. Bail would be proud of you."

Leia managed a small return smile. "I would hope so."

Ackbar and Mon traded looks with the robed man and then the two left to begin preparations.

Leia stayed put, unable to contain her curiosity any further. "Are you the mysterious General Hurst, by any chance?"

His lips lifted somewhat. "That is the name I go by, yes."

Leia had heard of this man, and how he was one at the front lines whether on the ground or in the air, though he was mainly a ground-forces man.

"Pardon me, but that name... doesn't fit you." Leia stepped closer, narrowing her eyes to study him more in depth.

"You are perceptive," Hurst said without ire. "Tell me, who do you think I am, then?"

Leia glanced downwards and only then saw the lightsaber hanging from his belt. And beside it was a gloved hand. One gloved hand. Leia reached out with the Force, trying to place this man.

"You know the Force; I can sense your mastery of it... but your face... I've seen it somewhere," Leia whispered.

"Your father's memories, perhaps," Hurst supplied, an old pain flashing through his ice-blue gaze. "He probably never spoke well of me, even after all we'd been through together."

Leia's eyes widened and she finally did recall something that had slipped once when she'd connected with Vader in her first few lessons of the Force.

That of a kind-faced man with auburn locks and facial hair that was always well groomed, as well as blue eyes that spoke of the gentle giant within... and the snippet of a voice that had instantly put Leia at ease.

"Obi Wan Kenobi?" Leia breathed, daring to hope.

A warm smile graced the elder man's face and he nodded. "It is I."

Leia gaped, unable to help it. "I... I thought you were..."

"Dead?" Obi Wan supplied knowingly. "That is actually for the best. I go by Hurst now, and have been working with the Rebellion since you and your brother were little."

Leia sat, overwhelmed. "I can't believe it."

Obi Wan sat beside her, not judging. "Very few know who I am, Leia, and it needs to stay that way. Most people in the Rebellion only think I am a rogue Jedi who came out of hiding. It is for their protection. Your father hates me with a passion, and if it was discovered someone was working for me— and in the Rebellion nonetheless— it would not end well for that person."

Leia nodded mutely.

Obi Wan sighed softly. "I have done my best to keep an eye on you and Luke... from a distance of course, but I've watched you two grow. And I will support you and Luke both in whatever I can help with."

Leia bowed her head. "Luke... what will become of him?"

"His road will not be an easy one, I fear, nor will yours, Leia. But in the end it will the two of you that this galaxy needs." Obi Wan placed a hand on her knee. "You are now taking your first steps into a much larger world as Luke did. And when he needs help from us, I will speak to High Command for him."

Leia looked to him and then nodded. "Alright, thank you."

She sighed, rising. "I need to head back now. I can't be gone too long or my parents will know seething is wrong."

Obi Wan held out a small comlink. "Here are my personal codes if you need me. Don't be afraid to use them, but don't be alarmed if I don't answer right away. I may be busy."

"I trust you," Leia said. And she did.

With a nod and a raise of his hood, Obi Wan led her outside and the two parted ways.


	20. Chapter 19

_**(May Carrie Fisher rest in peace. She will be missed. I'd like to ask for a moment of silence for her, to remember her for a moment. Thank you.)**_

* * *

 **Chapter Nineteen:**

Zolar sighed as Delrakkin came into view, settling back into his seat in the cockpit as his pilot took them down to the surface.

"It'll be good to rest for a little bit," Zolar admitted. "We will take a few days to regroup and then tackle this Force-user issue with a fresh perspective."

"That sounds great, Sir," the co-pilot said around a smile.

"And what of the runt in the back?" Yvette, the white-skinned Twi'lek asked, tossing her head in the direction of the cage the kid was inside.

"Leave him be for now." Zolar watched the trees get closer, and then he looked to the compound and made out the buildings that were now visible from the air.

Zolar stood from his seat as the shuttle they rode in neared the landing field, and he wrapped an arm about Yvette's waist. "Come, my dear. We have earned some alone time, don't you think?"

Yvette smiled just for him, running a finger up his arm. "Are you sure you're not a Jedi yourself, Zolar? 'Cause you just read my mind."

Zolar chuckled and let his desire for her show as they made their way to the ramp, Yvette already showering him with sultry kisses.

The ramp lowered, and Zolar took her down it, barely managing to look around amidst the distraction in his arms.

"Where is everyone?" Zolar wondered around a shuddering breath at Yvette's hand tracing his back seductively.

"Probably had too much to drink and are all passed out," Yvette murmured. "They've done it before when you leave for extended periods."

Zolar didn't know if he should agree or not, but as they neared his personal quarters, Yvette increased her antics, driving him crazy. Soon he had his hands on her hips, ready to take her to the bed once they were inside.

The door closed behind them... and then there was the click of several blasters and Zolar froze.

The lights were off, and so the Vurk couldn't see clearly, but even so his first thought was mutiny. "You would dare try to remove me from Captain's position?" Zolar growled indignantly, ready to kill whoever had the audacity to...

"I believe I have every right... _Captain_."

Zolar froze again, and he shoved Yvette off of him, his green face paling. The lights abruptly came on and the first thing Zolar noticed was the 501st with their blaster rifles aimed at his heart, and then the black-robed figure standing just behind Zolar's desk.

"Your Majesty," Zolar managed to say, though he did not bow.

Yvette was silent, waiting to see which way this would go. Darth Vader approached, his ocher eyes narrowing at the Vurk and Twi'lek.

"What, no respect for your Emperor?" he asked dangerously, and a rifle-butt was slammed into Zolar's shoulder.

The Vurk grumbled and bowed reluctantly, Yvette following suit. "What do you need, Your Majesty?"

"I have your men, and I own them now... just as I own you. And if you wish to live beyond this moment, you will do all that I command," Vader said, leaning backwards against the desk now.

"How do I know this isn't a ploy?" Zolar demanded.

"Commander?"

A man with a rank-pauldron upon his shoulder disappeared, and soon after a woman Zolar knew well was dragged before him, her head lolling limply as she muttered incoherently.

"Auspa?" Zolar gaped, and then he glared murder at Vader. "What did you do to her?! She's my best soldier aside from Yvette!"

"She _was_ your best," Vader dismissed, stepping around the Rattataki as if she weren't really there. "And if this is what your _best_ will end up like, do the rest of you stand a chance?"

Zolar made to protest, but Yvette placed a hand on his shoulder. "Just cooperate, Zolar. We may yet be able to get out of this."

"Smart woman," Vader mused, eyeing her with interest. The Emperor approached Yvette, and Zolar straightened, moving to place himself between the two. But he didn't get far before he was restrained by two blaster nozzles being placed to his chest.

Yvette shifted nervously as Vader circled her. "You are Force-Sensitive I see..."

She stiffened. "Yes Milord. But untrained."

"Not entirely," Vader corrected knowingly. "You are aware of your power... and while you don't have formal training, you aren't ignorant either."

He came to fore and tapped his chin with a finger. "What to do... what to do?"

"I can help you however you need, Your Majesty," Yvette said submissively. "Please have mercy: I am no Jedi."

Vader studied her again. "No, you aren't a Jedi. A Jedi would not be so... willing to bow to the Sith. However, I do believe you could be useful."

Vader turned. "Commander Cody, take her to my shuttle and put her in cell 3-J."

"At once, Majesty." The man stepped forward and with help from two other stormtroopers the small group left.

Zolar looked after Yvette with fear for her well-being, turning to the Emperor. "What will you do to her?"

"Her life is no longer your concern." Vader motioned and Zolar and sat in a chair, where he was then chained down. "You and your men are mine to do with as I see fit. You will help me in the retrieval of an asset. Failure on your end will result in deaths of your men."

Vader produced an image, showing it to Zolar. "This young man was here not too long ago, and I hear you've been chasing him down."

Zolar took in the image of the Force-user he had indeed sworn a vendetta against. What caught the Vurk's attention was the different hair and eyes. But the pirate decided to keep that tidbit of information to himself.

The Emperor obviously didn't know that the young man before him had a different appearance. It never once crossed the Vurk's mind that he was looking at the prince, too caught up in trying to come out on top was he.

"Yes, I've been after that fool." Zolar ground out. "The stupid _boy_ killed my best mate and many of my men. I will have his head, or so help me."

Vader's eyes hardened and Zolar did a double-take. "You would be wise to watch your tongue, Zolar."

The man's tone of voice set the Vurk back some, but the alien didn't apologize. "That murdering filth will suffer for crossing me, if it's the last thing I do."

Vader's lips lifted, and in a flash is hands were up and Zolar was screaming in agony as Sith Lightning jumped the distance between them. And with the metal chair he was sitting in, the effect was only increased.

Zolar writhed and shrieked, his body convulsing once the Emperor released him from the punishment.

"I warned you to watch your mouth." Vader snarled. "You will not touch the boy, or I will take you apart piece by piece myself."

Vader leaned in close, threateningly so. "No one hurts this boy but me, is that clear?"

Zolar shook uncontrollably from the aftereffects of the lightning, but managed a shaky nod.

Vader straightened again. "Very good."

With that he left the man to be guarded, walking outside.

 **00000**

Vader was met by Commander Cody once more as he crossed the open area of the pirate's camp.

"Milord, we searched the ship... and you're going to want to see this." Cody gestured into the interior of the shuttle.

Vader lifted a brow, but obliged, walking up the ramp and pausing in shock to find a blue-skinned boy huddled fearfully in a cage.

Cody stopped next to him. "The boy won't talk to anyone, and we didn't know what you wanted us to do with him."

Vader considered, eyeing the child... and feeling a stir in the Force. "Bring him to me."

"Yes Your Majesty." Cody bowed his head and approached the cage, shooting the lock and pulling the child from the cage. The boy fought instinctively, but Cody was stronger and then when Vader towered over him, the boy froze, looking slowly upward with a hard swallow.

"Who are you, boy?" Vader asked.

The child trembled, and when Vader lifted a brow expectantly, he spoke in a whisper. "C-Calan, Your... M-Majesty."

"And why were you locked in there?"

"The pirates took me from my... mother," Calan replied in a timid voice.

Vader felt prompted further by the Force and so he took a seat next to the child. "And where are you from?"

"Um... I lived on Vestar." Calan seemed to be trying to figure out why the Emperor of the galaxy was getting down on his level.

Vader considered. Zolar had been chasing Luke, and if he had been on Vestar, Luke probably had been too.

"Your Majesty," a stormtrooper said as he approached.

"What is it?"

"Milord, we looked through the logs on the navicomputer and this shuttle was on Vestar just before coming back to Delrakkin." The man offered a datapad with their findings on it.

Vader nodded his approval of the report and the man bowed out to return to his work.

Vader looked back at the boy. "Why did he take you?"

"Because Zolar wanted me in place of the three pirates the shopper killed in my mother's store," Calan said softly.

"Did he chip you as a slave?" Vader asked with a disgusted undertone.

"No... not yet, Majesty," Calan answered.

Vader tapped his chin, and then noticed the boy looking at the holo of Luke that Vader still carried visibly.

"Hey, that's the guy!" Calan pointed eagerly. "He's the one my mother helped!"

Vader picked up the image and showed it to the boy more fully. "This young man?"

Calan hesitated, frowning. "Oh... well, I _thought_ it was. The person who shopped for parts had dark hair and brown eyes."

Vader stilled. "Say that again?"

"According to the bill of sale my Mom wrote up, he said his name was Velius, and he had brown eyes, dark hair." Calan informed the Sith Lord.

Vader looked towards the building the Vurk was still inside. "Did Zolar know this?"

"He would have to, since he came there looking for him..." Calan said, shifting at the Emperor's darkened mood.

Vader ground his teeth, and in a flash rose to his feet, stalking with Dark purpose for the Vurk's quarters.

 **00000**

Zolar had a plan in place now: he would help the Empire search out the boy. With their added resources he could find the runt faster. But as soon as he had the fool alone, he would kill him.

The boy would not survive long enough to return to the safety of Coruscant. And if Zolar didn't get to the boy before he was moved to the Empire's ships, he'd lose his chance.

Zolar looked up when the door abruptly clanged open, and as the two stormtroopers left to guard the Vurk snapped to attention, Vader stormed in and lifted his hand.

Zolar felt an invisible hand clamp down on his throat and the Vurk balked in panic.

"You didn't think to tell me that he'd changed his appearance?!" Vader thundered. "How convenient of you to..."

Suddenly the Emperor paused as something caught his attention, and Zolar wondered if, in his panicked state his last thoughts had been shown to the man. The pressure on his neck vanished and the Emperor leveled a look at the alien that made the skin on his arms crawl.

"So, you were planning to stab us in the back after we gave you a chance at life?" Vader said in a low voice.

Even the stormtroopers winced, but Zolar barely noticed, so focused on the man before him was he. Vader came closer, and when the Vurk was looking up into the Sith's yellow eyes, the other continued, holding aloft the holo once more.

"Tell me, Zolar, do you even know who it is you are hunting?" Vader inquired, almost amicably.

Zolar sensed the trap, but knew he had to answer anyway. "Just some runt of a Force-user."

Vader clearly had to restrain himself from striking the Vurk, and that was worrisome to the alien. "Allow me to... _shift_ your perspective."

Vader did something to the image and when he next showed it to Zolar the image was changing from the blond-haired blue-eyed youth to the brown-eyed dark-haired one. But the face remained the same.

Zolar frowned. "Okay, yes, I knew he had different hair and eye color, so why the big deal?"

Vader actually laughed, a slow, deep chuckle that gave Zolar chills. "And you are the leader of this pirate gang?" the Emperor asked rhetorically.

Zolar sensed, even without the Force, the drop in temperature within the room while Vader straightened once more.

"Does the blond young man remind you of anyone?" Vader asked.

Zolar studied the image anew, and he knew he was missing something key. The Vurk glanced nervously at the Emperor... and only then saw the change in the man before him. Somehow, the yellow eyes were now an intense blue.

The exact same shade as the boy's from the holo.

Zolar's breathing abruptly became labored and he jerked his gaze back to the holo and he suddenly knew.

"I... I had no idea!" Zolar stammered, only then realizing how deeply in trouble he was.

Vader's eyes were yellow again and he slammed a heavy fist into Zolar's face. "That boy is MY SON, and YOUR future Emperor!"

Zolar felt his eyebrow split with the hit and then his jaw was pounded by another fist.

"You have been hunting MY SON like a piece of meat!" Vader roared.

"I didn't know he was the Prince!" Zolar pled desperately when the Emperor continued to beat him brutally.

"Your stupidity will cost you your pitiful life!" Vader snapped, and the troopers watched as Zolar was beaten to death by their Emperor.

Only when the body was limp and unmoving did the Emperor straighten.

With a roll of his shoulders and a crack of his neck to loosen tense muscles, the Sith spat on the dead body. The man's knuckles raw, and with blood spattered on his face and robes, Vader looked to his men. "Remove this piece of trash from my sight."

"Yes, Your Highness," they replied as they obeyed.

As they left, Vader's comlink went off and the Emperor ripped it off his belt. "What is it, Admiral Piett?"

"Your Highness, the bounty hunter Boba Fett has just arrived in system and is looking for an audience with you," Piett replied succinctly. "What are your orders, Milord?"

Vader blinked. What did Fett want with him?

"Did he give any details?" Vader inquired as he moved to clean up.

"No, Majesty, but he was adamant that what he has to say is quite important." The suspicion in Piett's voice was unmistakable.

Vader considered, once more feeling the Dark Side stir welcomingly. "Very well. Let him pass. Have him land in the pirate compound, or he _will_ be shot down."

"As you wish."

 **00000**

Luke stood in the doorway to the lobby, watching the somber way his two companions went about their dinner. There was a certain lackluster way about them, as if they knew their days were numbered.

And with both the Empire and Jabba the Hutt after them, Luke didn't blame them. Although, Luke was pretty sure they didn't know of the Empire yet.

"Han?" Luke spoke softly as he gingerly entered.

The smuggler's gaze lifted to Luke's and the man offered a flat smile. "So, do you still want to be friends now that you know our dirty secret?"

Luke frowned. "Why wouldn't I want to be your friend? I don't care about Jabba's crosshairs. I am the one who foiled your way to pay him back, so if anyone is to blame, it's me."

Han thinned his lips, and Luke met his gaze evenly. "You can go ahead and say it, Han. I can take it."

Han sighed. "Okay, yes, you screwed up our spice shipment."

Luke began to nod his assent, but Han held up a hand. "But. In all fairness to you, we sort of expected Zolar to double-cross us."

Luke blinked, taken aback. "I will make this right, Han," he finally murmured. "There has to be a way to get Jabba to leave you two alone."

"If you've got any ideas, I'm all ears," Han drawled. "The only possible way would be to pay Jabba what we owe plus a generous tip as a peace offering. And even then, Jabba would probably take that and throw Chewie and me in the brig and leave us there to rot until he decided to feed to his latest pet."

Luke considered. "How much do you owe him?"

"Too much." Han deflected.

"Han..."

The smuggler sighed heavily. "With interest and the peace offering I mentioned... we owe Jabba about eighty-thousand credits."

Chewie howled mournfully and Luke swallowed that tidbit.

"What happened?" Luke asked softly. "Why do you owe him money?"

"We were moving some of his cut spice and the Empire boarded our ship. We had to jettison the spice... and after the Empire left we spent three full days searching for those blasted crates, but they were gone."

Luke nodded slowly, thinking it over before he spoke again. "What if you could get him some spice?"

Han frowned even as Chewie straightened. "What do you mean?"

Luke gave the pair a pointed look. "We just transported millions of credits worth of the very same spice to Zolar and his men. Why not steal some of it back?"

Han's jaw actually dropped. "Force kid, I've heard some crazy things in my time, but this takes the rychate. Are you _insane?!_ "

Luke didn't flinch. "I guess I am."

Chewbacca leaned forward. [Velius, that's a suicide mission.]

"And we aren't already on one?" Luke countered knowingly. "How long do you think you can run or hide from Jabba? I can guarantee he already has bounty hunters out there, and some of them are the best of the best."

[That doesn't mean we need to go _into_ the Asyyyriak nest!] Chewie countered. [We will do more jobs, earn the money.]

Luke shook his head. "You two are on Jabba's most wanted list now. You won't get far, and if someone miraculously _does_ give you a job, it won't be a clean one. They'll be waiting to snare you in their trap so they can get the reward money from Jabba."

Han placed a hand over Luke's. "Look, Kid. We appreciate your willingness here, but the answer is no. Maybe if we were desperate... but right now we aren't."

Luke thinned his lips. "Okay, it's your choice. Just... be careful."

Han nodded. "No kidding."

* * *

 _(_ **A/N:** _Anyone who'd like to see what Nella looks like overall can view the image I based her off of with the artist's permission. I just added a few of my own things to create her look. Go to Deviantart . com and look up "Parallel— Floating Droid Art" by Wiggagram.)_


	21. Chapter 20

**Chapter Twenty:**

Luke sat in the hold of the _Falcon_ once more, Nella in his lap while he had her hooked up to his datapad. She was in stand-by mode as Luke, upon making a hard-fought choice, now uploaded everything he knew about being a Shadow minus the Force. He had also to upgrade Nella to fight alongside him if need be, as well as install an update on her camouflage capabilities.

He had taken the entire night-time shift of the hyperspace-bound ship to make a document for Nella containing his vast knowledge of stealth, assassination, battle, tactics and anything else related to what he did as Vader's Shadow.

Luke was a little weary since his documentation had taken so long, but now he felt it would be worth it, especially if something happened to him.

As the files uploaded to Nella's database, Luke's mind wandered not for the first time to his visions of Leia. They were still coming, and Luke was increasingly unsettled by them, and yet... Maz's words to him still rang with a grain of truth that had Luke constantly at war with himself.

Was Leia truly in trouble, or were these visions being implanted by someone? The latter option best fitted, Luke knew, since Vader would do whatever it took to have his wayward son return. But there was still some part of Luke that had to wonder... _what if_.

What if Leia _was_ hurt, or captured?

Luke shook his head. But wouldn't he, her twin, know if something had happened to her? And he doubted it would be strictly in the form of visions. His sister and he were bonded in the Force as only Force-sensitive twins could be.

He would know on a base level if Leia had been harmed in such a manner.

That last thought brought with it a startling epiphany... and Luke felt sick. He _would_ know if something had happened to his beloved sister. That meant that these visions had to be the byproduct of a father hell-bent on regaining full control over his son.

Luke felt bile rise up, and no small amount of indignation that Vader would use his own daughter in such a way. He stewed for several long minutes before he resolutely willed away his anger.

Those emotions were exactly what Vader wanted from Luke, and Luke knew they would ultimately do him no good. Let Vader play his games... Luke _would not_ go Dark.

Luke's head lifted at that, and a sense of newfound purpose began in his bosom. Indeed... Luke refused to become a Sith, and he would much rather die than join Vader in that endeavor.

But Luke didn't _want_ to die... not yet. He had so much he could offer the galaxy... he couldn't just leave it.

So then what was he to do?

Luke's musings were interrupted by the ping of his datapad that indicated the full transfer was completed. He checked Nella's systems and then detached the 'pad, closing the access panel and rebooting Nella completely.

Once her eye-sockets had lit up and she again floated before the young man, Luke eyed her.

"Hello Nella," he murmured.

"Good evening Master Velius," Nella responded.

"I have given you a... substantial upgrade," Luke informed the droid. "Has it been accepted into your full system?"

Nella was silent for several moments while she sought to verify so she could give her master a proper answer.

"Yes Master," Nella at last spoke. "I have been given all the Intel I need to infiltrate a building, ship or any other space and act as a spy or assassin if need be."

Luke nodded. "You also have the full schematics of the Imperial Palace, including the underlevels few know of. Also... I have uploaded the identity and information on two of my best friends in there: my sister Leia and Artoo-Detoo, an astromech. You can trust both implicitly."

Nella dipped her head. "Understood."

Luke paused, feeling a nudge in the Force. "And Nella, I need you to do something for me."

Nella tilted her head. "Anything for you, Master Velius."

"If something should happen to me where I need... rescuing, I want you to take me to Maz Kanata on Takodana. But it needs to be done in secret, just to be on the safe side."

Nella nodded. "As you wish."

Luke eyed her and then stood. "Let us practice your new skills."

Nella seemed to perk up at the chance to prove herself. "What would you have me do?"

Luke smirked. "I will hide on the ship, and you will use your newfound knowledge to find me without letting the other occupants see or hear you specifically." Luke saw Nella bob up and down in electrical excitement. "Disengage your life-form scanners for this exercise and use only the information you now posses."

Nella's head dipped some and Luke knew she was doing as he'd asked. "All set, Master Velius."

"Excellent. Allow me ten minutes, and then begin your search," Luke ordered before he disappeared.

 **00000**

Leia stood at the wall of windows overlooking the ecumenopolis that was Coruscant. A plan had settled into her mind, one with which she could utilize her position as a Shadow to her advantage.

One in which even Padmé could not hold her back. And with Artoo's assistance, her plans had become a reality. Now all Leia needed was for Artoo to finish the 'official document' from Emperor Vader that would 'order' Leia to go on a mission.

A satisfied smile worked its way into her lips, and she felt a flicker of pride at herself. Indeed Padmé had taught her daughter well. Perhaps too well.

Padmé was not the only one who could work behind the scenes.

A soft step behind Leia brought her attention to the handmaiden that had been... different of late.

"Your supper, Milady," Damielle said quietly.

Leia turned to regard the redhead, something that Damielle noticed. Leia was certain the other paled, though to Damielle's credit she hid it remarkably well.

Pursing her lips, Leia sat and indicated the chair opposite. "Please have a seat Damielle."

Damielle froze. "Milady?"

Leia lifted a brow. "Did I stutter? Sit down please; I would like to speak with you."

Briefly, Damielle looked for all the world like she wanted to flee, but then she lifted her chin somewhat and finally took the offered chair.

Leia took up a plate, and then held out the second to Damielle. "Please, join me I eating."

Damielle's jaw dropped, and she remained still in her seat. "Princess, I..."

Leia sighed; weary of the way Damielle constantly treated the princess like she was so much better. "Damielle, please, I am not your superior in any way except rank. We are both young women, and I would hope that you could consider me a friend, even if you have been... given as my servant. I don't truly see you as one, I hope you understand that."

Damielle continued to gape, and Leia watched as she looked at her clasped hands. "What do you want of me, Princess?"

Leia continued to hold out the plate. "I would like to know what is bothering you of late, and I would like for you to eat something."

Damielle didn't move for another second, but then she met Leia's brown gaze and gingerly accepted the salver. "Thank you Milady."

Leia spooned some helpings of the meal onto Damielle's dish first and then loaded hers. Then she nodded and the two began to eat in a somewhat awkward silence. Leia took the time to surreptitiously study her companion.

Damielle did seem different, she seemed... sadder, more solemn than even when they'd first met. But there appeared to be a... well, Leia thought it was a haunted look to the other girl now. One that hadn't be there until recently.

Once they'd eaten half their portions, Leia ventured to make conversation. "So, may I inquire as to what has you... upset of late?"

Damielle paused in her current bite and swallowed with difficulty. Leia observed with a keen eye as the other clearly stalled for time as she ate three more bites. But when the other answered, Leia did her best to remain open and non-judgmental.

"I was recently... _asked_ to do something by... someone. And it's not been sitting well with me," Damielle said carefully, not meeting Leia's gaze.

Leia considered that, and looked to her plate a moment. "That someone being my mother?" she asked knowingly.

Damielle stiffened. "How do you know?"

Leia offered a bitter smile. "You forget who my mother is. And I have known her far longer than you, Damielle. What did she ask you to do?"

Damielle closed her eyes. "She... asked me to... do something terrible, and I am not ready to talk about it. I am sorry, but... no."

Leia sighed softly. "I understand. My mother... is a breed of person who demands loyalty while offering none in return. But what hurts is that she is more ruthless than even my father when it comes to something she wants."

Damielle winced. "Yes," she whispered.

Leia's datapad pinged then and she looked to it to find Artoo's message. Leia managed to keep the anticipation off her face, and she set the device down as if nothing interesting had just occurred.

"Damielle," Leia sat forward, placing her plate upon the tray. "I know my mother can be... overbearing and even frightening. Trust me, I know. But if you... need someone to talk to, I will do my best to listen and not pass judgment."

Damielle looked to her, and Leia thought she saw awe there. "Forgive me if this is too bold a statement, but... how can you be so... _different_ from your mother?"

Leia sighed sadly. "Because I've seen her influence, and I only see fear in those she keeps around. Their loyalty is bought, not earned. I want nothing to do with that. If I am to be a leader, I want my people to love and respect me, not fear to so much as look at me incorrectly."

She rose then. "Thank you for joining me tonight. I will be gone for a few days, so feel free to do whatever you want. Just try not to get into trouble."

She added a wink to take off any sting her words could have, and Damielle smiled gently.

Leia excused herself to pack as if for a mission and was out her door half an hour later. Leia made her way to her personal ship and was preparing for departure when Padmé appeared.

"Where are you going?" Padmé asked mildly.

"Father is sending me on a mission," Leia replied succinctly.

Padmé frowned. "I heard nothing of this."

Leia glanced to Padmé and then shrugged some. "I don't question Father's orders: I know better. I just do what I'm told."

Padmé narrowed her eyes. "Where is this so-called message?"

Leia produced her datapad and handed it over without hesitation. She was completely confident in Artoo's abilities. Padmé read the message with the eye of a hawk, and Leia saw her even check its origins. Finally Padmé sighed and relinquished the datapad again.

"Do be careful in your observation of this person," Padmé said in a voice that made Leia shiver involuntarily. "If he is indeed a Rebellion member, we must be cautious."

Leia took the datapad. "Yes, but if he _is_ a Rebellion member, then we can follow his movements and get more information. I will be gone several days, Mother, and I am certain I can glean something useful from him."

Padmé nodded slowly. "That would be nice. Safe travels, then, Leia."

Leia bowed her head and then boarded her ship, taking off shortly thereafter.

 **00000**

Nella took great pleasure in sneaking around the _Millennium Falcon_ in search of her missing master. He was very good at hiding, she had soon discovered, and she had to use several new skills just to locate some trace he had left behind, which was next to nothing.

Nella had nearly run into the Wookiee when she'd rounded a bend and he was coming her way. Lucky for her, the lumbering being had been looking at a datapad instead of straight ahead, so Nella was able to utilize her camouflage software to blend in perfectly with the bulkhead behind her.

The Wookiee never saw her and Nella's circuits were pleased.

The captain was a different matter. He kept himself in the lobby, and Nella had to cross it without him noticing her. But how?

Nella consulted her databases, trying to figure out how to get from one end of the hold to the next unnoticed... and then her gaze fell upon a discarded black cloth lying atop a pile of crates near the opening to one of the storage areas.

Nella moved to it, picked it up and draped it over her form. Then, pacing herself to move at the usual human stride, Nella silently began to traverse from her end of the lobby to the corridor that would lead toward the cockpit.

To her initial dismay, Han looked up, a strange expression on his face. "What's with the robe, Kid?"

Nella pause and considered a second, then patterned her voice to exactly replicate Luke's. "I have a headache, and wanted to reduce the light to my eyes."

Han lifted a brow. "Alright. Well, take it easy for a bit, okay? We have a few more days in hyperspace."

"Will do," Nella replied in Luke's voice before she continued on her way.

If the droid could have smiled, she would have done so when she achieved her current destination. Once she was out of view, Nella continued on her way and didn't bother to remove the robe.

Nella carefully approached the cockpit, wondering if Luke could possibly be hiding in the cockpit after all. It was too simple... but there was nowhere else he could be. Nella had already checked all other places.

Nella noted the deep shadows next to the door to the cockpit, but nothing there moved, so she cautiously entered the cockpit. To her confusion, Luke was nowhere to be seen.

Nella considered, and then backed out of the space to weight her options. She looked at the shadow again... only then noting how it seemed out of place. How could that be?

With half an expectancy to be startled, Nella approached the shaded area... and was greeted with the eyes of her master when she was almost to the bulkhead.

Nella let out a startled squeak and then settled when Luke chuckled. "Well done, Nella. And I like the disguise too: I heard you imitating my voice." He grinned. "I am impressed."

Nella hummed in pleasure before she tilted her head at her master. "How did you hide so well in the shadow?"

"With the Force," Luke replied. "Not all opponents will be Force-blind. You would do well to remember that Jedi or Sith can hide in unanticipated ways."

"I will indeed remember that." Nella promised, taking note dutifully in her database.

Luke smiled softly at her and then yawned. "I think I will take a nap now. Better let me borrow the robe to keep up with your charade."

Nella relinquished the garment and together they moved back through the ship.

 **00000**

Darth Vader stood silently in the courtyard in the center of the Jikati Pirate's camp, watching as the Mandalorian approached without fear. Boba Fett stopped at a respectful distance and bowed his head.

"What do you want, bounty hunter?" Vader demanded.

"I have information you may find useful," Fett answered. "But in exchange I want Solo and the Wookiee."

Vader lifted a brow. "Already making demands?"

"Jabba has a price on their heads too, Your Majesty. I will be the one to call him up on that offer." Fett responded. "Those are my terms for sharing my information."

Vader took a step closer. "I will not just let those two walk free, Fett."

Vader could feel the other's wicked smirk. "You will when you hear what Jabba has planned for them."

Vader placed a hand on his hip. "Do expound."

Boba did, and with each word the Emperor actually started to feel better. He was smiling by the end.

"Very well. It would indeed be interesting to see the pair as... slaves." Vader chuckled Darkly. "I accept your terms... _if_ the intelligence is worth your price."

Boba lifted a handheld device. "How does a location on the Prince sound?"


	22. Chapter 21

**Chapter Twenty-One:**

Darth Vader lifted his head at the bounty hunter's words. "You know where he is?"

Fett's helmet tilted some. "Currently in hyperspace, but once he reverts, I will have a fixed location. I bugged the _Falcon_."

Vader considered this new turn of events. "Then we must begin preparations immediately. Once the Prince is in my care, you may do whatever you wish with the smugglers."

Fett's head bowed. "As you wish. However, if I may make a suggestion?"

Vader lifted a brow. Fett was indeed a brash man to think he could give the Emperor suggestions out of the blue like this. However, given the man's ability to find Luke— if Boba was telling the truth, and Vader's gut told him the other was— he was willing to allow this one thing.

"You may speak," Vader replied.

"Solo and the Wookiee will be desperate for work; to try and earn funds to pay off Jabba. Why not set up a false job and be waiting for them at the rendezvous point?" Fett said.

Vader considered, approving the sound logic. "You may be on to something, Bounty Hunter. What do you believe would draw them out?"

Fett considered. "They would never transport slaves, and spice would be too obvious after the Jikati fiasco... so weapons. Jabba would love to get his hands on some pretty artillery... _or_..." Fett paused, considering something that had just come to him. "Jabba is also a collector of rarities: the finest silks, rare items of historical significance, that sort of thing. He likes to add to his treasure trove."

Vader held up a hand. "We will stick with weapons. I do not feel like feeding a Hutt's ego. We will make preparations. Come."

"As you wish."

 **00000**

Derek "Hobbie" Klivian almost couldn't believe what he was seeing, and he had helped to bring it about.

Not only had the Rebellion just cashed in on a treasure-trove of supplies ranging from food and medicine to weapons, but the Rebellion had also managed to commandeer two fully operational Imperial cargo ships. Those vessels would come in handy in more than one way: they could either be retrofitted into Alliance craft, or they would be kept as Imperial vessels to be used for sneaking into Imperial territory.

The supplies, on the other hand, would keep the Rebellion fed for weeks now at least, and Hobbie had to wonder how Alliance High Command had gotten so lucky. Where had the intelligence for this hit come from? Surely it had come from an informant, because the way the shipment had been organized by the Empire— with only one ship of the three for protection— meant that it had been intended to be a secret.

Few would have known about the shipment, let alone it's route and such. But who could have access to such information?

Beside him, Wes Janson elbowed his best friend in the side. "I know what you're thinking. Don't go looking a gift eopie in the mouth there Bud. Let's just be glad we can have piping hot caf again in the mornings without it being rationed to barely acceptable portions!"

Janson's ecstatic grin was infectious, and the thought of a mug of the caf indeed brought a smile to Hobbie's face. "I can't wait 'till morning now!"

Janson snickered. "Well then, the sooner we finish unloading the crates, the sooner we can get it to the mess hall... and then they can start brewing brown perfection!"

Hobbie rolled his eyes, but the pair walked over to pitch in, lifting crates and stacking them with the others of their kind by content. Soon all of the Rogues— recently returned from a sweep of the fleet's position in case the retreat had been followed— were helping the ground crew, and the moving of crates went swiftly.

When Rogue Squadron had finished their work the officer on duty whistled for everyone's attention. "Why don't we take advantage of this victory and brew up some of this caf tonight?!"

Cheers rang all throughout the hangar, and Hobbie wasn't shy about voicing his own assent. The Alliance had been running dangerously low on the stuff, so much so that some ships were out entirely.

Hobbie shuddered at the thought, even if their own ship— _Home One_ — had been rationed to preserve what was left. Thankfully pilots and officers got first dibs since they had to be the most awake.

 _One perk of flying_ , Hobbie mused.

The mass of bodies heading for the mess hall was likely a sight to see, but Hobbie didn't care. All he could think about was fresh caf, warming his hands as he held the mug in his cold grip.

 **00000**

Luke lay in his bunk, one leg dangling over the edge as he was lost deep in thought. Han and Chewie needed funds, and while Luke had the money, he felt that he needed to preserve his finances for some other time.

So how else to get the amount needed?

Luke still felt that his earlier vote to take back some of the spice they'd given the Jikati Pirates would be their best bet. It wasn't like the pirates had paid them for it anyway, so technically it was still Han's, right?

Luke didn't know, nor did he care. He was willing to get it even if Han and Chewie didn't back him on it. It was the least he could do for the heap of trouble the pair were in thanks to Luke.

He sighed deeply and ran a hand over his face. Now he just had to find a way back to Delrakkin.

Nella appeared, her head tilting in a display of concern. "Master Velius, are you alright?"

Luke peeked out at her from under his arm that he now had slung over his face. "Yeah, just thinking."

"Does a human normally display stress when thinking?" Nella asked.

Luke couldn't help but snort softly at her innocent question. "Sometimes, Nella."

There were times his droid reminded him of a little child: eager to learn all about the big galaxy all around her, and yet not old or mature enough to understand it all right away. But she would, with time and experience. One only had to look at Artoo Detoo for proof of that.

The reminder of his faithful friend back on Coruscant brought a pang of sadness to Luke's heart, but he was interrupted by Han's voice over the intercom.

" _Hey, Kid, we're coming out of hyperspace in one minute._ "

Luke nodded even though he was alone and he hoisted himself up. "Let's get to the cockpit."

Luke and Nella made it to the indicated space just as Han was counting down. Luke got his straps on seconds before the reversion, and then the mottled starlines became pinpricks of light. Luke's attention was also drawn almost instantly by a planet growing ever larger in the viewport.

"Where are we again?" Luke queried, glancing at the navicomputer over Chewie's shoulder.

"Ord Mantell," Han replied.

"Ah." Luke took in the grey and brown orb, noting the terrain that was essentially all mountain chains. The atmosphere had a pink tinge to it thanks to near-constant clouds of the same color. But the air was breathable, and thus Luke wasn't worried.

He spied two of the planet's three moons, and then turned his attention to their approach. "What's here that we need?"

"A place to lie low and hopefully find work." Han grunted as he flew them to a spaceport.

"Are you sure we should land in town when you two are wanted?" Luke asked pointedly.

Han threw him a look. "We're using a different transponder code, marks the ship as the _Lucky Gundark_ , and Chewie and me can wear disguises."

Luke nodded slowly, only then noting that Chewie had indeed changed his fur color at some point. Luke grimaced at his lapse in attention on that one. Han didn't seem to have changed into anything yet, so Luke figured he would once the _Falcon_ had landed.

As the ship came in closer, Luke retreated aft to retrieve his new jacket, donning it and lifting the hood. He could use the Force to blur or shade his face if he needed to should anyone happen to see past the hood.

Luke was aware of the ship settling down as Han landed at last. Then the engines shut off and Luke heard the _tick... tick..._ of the mechanics cooling down after having run for so long.

Luke gestured to Nella and she came forward. "You get to come along this time."

Nella hummed in pleasure. "Thank you Master Velius."

Luke smiled softly and then moved aside as Han appeared, disappearing into the captain's cabin for a time before he reemerged with black hair and brown eyes. He was also sporting different clothing that wouldn't mark him as Corellian right off the bat.

"You ready to go Velius?" Han asked.

"Yes."

Han nodded, and then glanced at Chewie. "You will have to stay clear of me, or our disguises will mean nothing. Velius, would you mind letting Nella go with Chewie, and you and I can team up?"

Luke inclined his head. "That's fine. Nella, stay with Chewie."

"As you wish." She answered, floating over to Chewie's side. "What do I call him if I need to?"

Luke lifted a brow at Han, who considered. "Call him Lowbaack. And I'll be Kyle Fitari. Velius and me will leave ten minutes after you two."

"Understood," Nella responded, and she left the ship with the Wookiee.

 **00000**

Leia took a deep breath as she piloted her small Artoo-commandeered shuttle into the private bay on Home One she had been directed to. Just before leaving Tatooine, she had been given a special code that would admit her onto the Rebellion's flagship. This was her first trip to the Rebel Fleet, however.

Leia was more than a little nervous, but she was determined to go through with this. She had asked for an audience with the Rebellion so she could openly tell them what was happening, and her meeting would be broadcast to all Alliance people wherever theey were in their bases or ships. How this would go remained to be seen, she knew, but Leia wasn't about to back down now. Along the way here, she had dressed in a simple white senatorial gown that would hopefully convey her true intentions.

Her ship settled to the deck and Leia sat back as it cooled down. A soft beep from beside her drew Leia's attention to the blue and silver astromech who had accompanied her.

"Well, here goes nothing," Leia murmured to him. "Do you think they'll accept me or try to skin me alive for being who I am?"

 _I don't think you give these people enough credit,_ Artoo replied mildly.

"But I am Imperial royalty, their enemy..." Leia retorted, noticing the arrival of General Hurst, or Obi Wan, as he was known to only a select few.

 _Just be who you are, and don't expect their loyalty right off the bat._ Artoo counseled. _Ask for a chance and continue to serve them, tell them the truth and you'd probably be surprised who will align with you._

Leia smiled softly at him. "Thanks Artoo."

With that she stood, squared her shoulders and donned a hooded robe to hide her identity until it was the right moment. With Artoo behind her, Leia walked down the ramp and bowed slightly to Obi Wan who returned the gesture with a gentle smile.

"Welcome, Princess," he greeted her.

"Thank you General," Leia answered. "Is everyone assembled?"

"Yes, as you requested." Obi Wan placed a kind hand to her shoulder before they began walking. "This won't be easy for you, but I believe this is the right choice."

Leia nodded as they began to walk along the halls, and it didn't take long for her to admit that she rather liked the smoother, softer lines of the Mon Calamari cruiser they were on board. It was much homier than any Imperial ship Leia had been on.

Padmé may have been Empress, and her husband may have allowed her to choose many things about the Empire, but Vader drew the line at her interfering with the Imperial fleet's appearance, Leia knew.

"I want to be honest with them from the start." Leia continued to look about discreetly as they conversed. "I don't think they will believe me at first, but I've brought more information with me to pass along."

She handed Obi Wan another datachip, and he nodded, placing it in his datapad. "I'll have it looked at, thank you."

They walked for a while more before Obi Wan stopped at a set of double doors. He motioned for Leia to wait there and entered without her. Leia caught a glimpse of the masses within the assembly hall and she called upon her extensive training to remain calm and collected. Leia cracked the door open and listened as Obi Wan spoke.

"We have been granted a marvelous opportunity, and you all know I would never willingly endanger the lives of anyone in this Alliance by bringing a traitor into our midst. However, this person will cause concern for many when their identity is revealed."

There was a pause and Leia heard soft murmuring. Artoo lovingly bumped her legs from behind and Leia patted his dome affectionately.

"That being said," Obi Wan went on, "I would ask that you allow this person to speak all that is on their mind before you pass judgment. Give them a chance before you pass them off as a liar. I trust this person, and would ask you to try to do the same, but at your own pace."

Another moment of quiet punctuated with whispers and muttered conversation occurred, and then Obi Wan returned, gesturing for Leia. She and Artoo entered, and Leia felt the attention instantly zero in on her.

She held herself regally, but not haughtily. She needed to project confidence yet humility while not coming across as having a holier-than-thou attitude. Leia was led to the stage, with Artoo rolling up the small ramp and coming to stand beside her once Obi Wan gave her the podium.

Leia took a deep, steadying breath and stepped up to the microphone. Without lowering her hood, Leia looked out over the crowd, taking them in while she still could without them reacting to her identity.

"Thank you for allowing me to address you. I know that for many of you the Empire is a thing to be hated and despised. And while there _are_ those among the Empire who are deserving of such animosity, I would also ask you to remember that there are those who are not like that. The Empire has families and innocents under its care also. It's not the fault of the citizens that their Emperor and Empress are so... corrupt." Leia placed her hands on the podium.

"I grew up in the Empire, and while I knew much of what the military and other leaders did was wrong, I was too afraid to speak out against them. I have lived richly, yes, but only in material wealth. With the exception of a brother, I have not known love from my family for many years now. It has been only control, cruelty and the realization that I am more a tool than a child to my parents."

Leia felt the confusion and wariness all around her, and she knew she would have to reveal her face very soon. "I had been in talks with the late Senator Organa of Alderaan about the Rebellion, but it wasn't until his death that I was motivated into action. I was the one who gave the Alliance the information on the Roche supply run, and I am ready and willing to give up more intelligence as I come across it. I will also fight with you wherever and whenever I can. However, I will also remain on Coruscant, as I cannot just leave without garnering instant suspicion."

Leia closed her eyes. "I will thus become a double agent, playing the Empire while living in their midst. I will be your inside person, but I am more than ready to fight alongside you if you would let me. I do not expect or ask for your instant acceptance of me, but I would beg you to give me a chance to prove myself to you."

Leia paused and allowed her voice to become firm and solid for her next declaration. "I am deadly serious. I _will_ fight with the Alliance and help protect it as much as I can."

Leia prepared herself. "Please do not immediately dismiss me because of who I am. I am a victim of the Emperor and Empress also, and I would ask you to remember that. But I offer myself to you, and whatever services I can perform."

With that, Leia finally removed her hood and stood tall and determined in the spotlight.

Dead silence reigned for the space of several heartbeats as those assembled realized who stood before them. One could have heard a pin drop in the abrupt void of sound. Leia felt sweat bead on the nape of her neck, but she remained calm and prepared for the reaction.

It began as a dull roar, but swiftly the noise rose in decibel as the assembly came back to life. Leia was immensely relieved when, instead of shouting at her, several hands went up demanding attention.

Leia pointed to the first one she saw. "Yes?"

"How do we know this isn't a ploy?" the woman demanded. "You are Princess Leia Vader. Why should we give you a chance?"

"I know it was just one mission, but I am the one who pointed the Alliance to Roche. You all did the work, true, but you would not have known of that shipment if not for me." Leia met her gaze calmly. "I also brought a list of more supply depots the Alliance can make possible use of, and if needed I will assist in said raids."

"And why would you turn on the Empire? On your own parents?" a pilot asked, his orange flight suit half off.

"Because I am tired of living under their constant, controlling thumbs." Leia's voice was more than a little bitter. "I am not so much a daughter to my own mother as something to flaunt and control. I will have no more."

"What good in a fight will you be?" someone else asked, their disbelief obvious.

"I am well versed in combat, and though I am not nearly as natural a pilot as my father or brother, I _am_ able to fly," Leia answered. "I can hold my own, handle a multitude of weapons, and am trained in many other areas."

"Are you sure you won't change your mind?" a mechanic challenged.

"Absolutely not." Leia affirmed with fervor.

"And why not?"

Leia's eyes lit up and a few people stepped back. "Because my _mother_ murdered Bail Organa; a father-figure and my best friend next to my twin!" Leia pounded a fist against the podium. "I _will not_ just sit back and allow her to get away with that! I will allow Bail's legacy to live on, and I will bring his killer to justice. But that will take time, and if I must do it without your help, then I will. But I _want_ to be a part of this Rebellion, and I vow to do all I can to help you."

She was greeted with another round of whispers before a pilot with dark hair stepped forward. "I'll give you a chance. If you are indeed serious, then I agree that a double agent with access to the Imperial Palace is too good an opportunity to pass on. I say we let Princess Leia have her chance."

The group of orange-clad men around this pilot sounded their assent and Leia's heart warmed. She felt her throat close some when Mon Mothma and the rest of Alliance High Command stepped up to back Leia.

"We fully support the Princess, and until she proves a traitor, we will not treat her harshly," Mothma said clearly. "She is still a princess, and thus will be treated with due respect, but you may interact with and trust her. _I_ trust her with my life."

That created a stir— Mon Mothma did not give her trust easily— and then people began to nod, and when no one objected, Leia smiled.

"Thank you for the opportunity. I won't let you down." She promised.


	23. Chapter 22

**Chapter Twenty-Two:**

Luke had to give Han and Chewie credit where it was due. They had been at the spaceport for four hours now, moving slowly from one cantina to another as they sought work. Chewie had only crossed Luke and Han's path twice, and even when they were in the same cantina, Luke only knew it was Chewie because of his Force aura. Nella had not been immediately with Chewbacca each time, but she had shown up in time for Luke to not worry, and he realized that she was simply following her programming.

Luke smiled to himself at that as his gaze roamed the current cantina from his seat in a corner booth. He had the hood of his jacket drawn up to conceal most of his face, but even so, Luke could make out Han across the room.

The smuggler was seated on a bar stool beside another patron: a shifty-looking Sullustan that Luke didn't trust at all. But Han had heard from another patron— who'd done a job for someone else and heard from _them_ — that the Sullustan was the one to talk to for expensive jobs in the area.

 _So of course Han would take the chance..._ Luke thought sourly.

Luke sighed as he watched Han for a moment longer, and then allowed his gaze to pass on to avoid suspicion.

"This seat taken, Handsome?"

Luke blinked up in surprise as a redheaded teenager— she looked to be about two years younger than himself— with vivid green eyes took a seat across from him without awaiting his reply. Luke eyed her openly for a moment out of shock before he collected himself and took a sip of his drink.

"I'm not really in the mood for company, actually," Luke told her.

The young woman smirked knowingly. "Well then I guess it's a good thing I'm not here for companionship."

Luke lifted a brow, intrigued by her mannerisms. She was beautiful, Luke would willingly admit, and yet there was something... dangerous about her that he found both alluring and frightening. Her body was well toned and strong for a teenager, and Luke saw nothing but fiery spirit and keen intelligence in those emerald eyes.

Willing to indulge her, Luke sat back some, eyeing her from under his hood. "Alright, I'll bite. What do you want?"

She glanced toward the bar, right in the direction of Han and the Sullustan. "You two are looking for work, right?" Luke blinked, wondering how in space she'd figured that out—he had been rather careful, Luke was certain of that— and her smirk widened. Her words were not challenging, however, when she next spoke. "There's no need to make a scene. I didn't come here to make trouble."

Luke eyed her more intently, and then sat his glass down, leaning forward to give her his full attention. "Alright. Yes, we _are_ looking for work. Do you know of any?"

"I do, but I can also tell you that anything that Sullustan offers will be rigged. He has a history of double-crossing his agents." The young woman informed Luke before she straightened proudly. " _I_ work for someone who can get you boys some good, clean work, won't double-cross you, _and_ you'll profit in the end."

Luke threw a glance at Han, who seemed to be haggling final details with his companion, judging from the handshakes happening now. "Something tells me my friend's got a gig already, and he won't be swayed easily... but I'm listening."

She reached into a pocket and slid something across the tabletop to him. "The Smuggler's Alliance is fairly new, but we're a respectable business. Talon Karrde is the head of the Alliance, and he is always willing to take on help, as long as they're honest working people." Her eyes hardened in warning. "He _doesn't_ like being played."

Luke nodded, moving to take the chip. When his fingers touched hers he felt a jolt, and with a sharp breath of surprise, Luke realized she was Force-sensitive. And rather powerful, Luke instinctively knew.

He saw her own similar reaction to his touch before she covered it up expertly. Luke similarly swallowed his own emotion, yet held her gaze. "What is your name?"

She hesitated, and Luke got the impression she rarely divulged that information. "Mara Jade," she murmured so only he could hear.

Then she was standing up, straightening her shirt and nodding to the chip he now held. "Think it over."

Luke watched her go with great interest, but just before she ducked outside his view was blocked by Han, who walked by Luke's table and tapped it once. Luke shook himself and pocketed the datachip, promising himself to look it over later.

He waited ten minutes after Han's signal and then stood to leave also, making his way back to the _Falcon_.

 **00000**

Leia breathed in deeply as she waited for her starfighter to emerge from hyperspace. She had volunteered to fly with Rogue Squadron since they were the only group willing— or perhaps crazy as some other pilots had whispered— to allow her to come along with them.

After General Hurst — Obi Wan— had verified her data to be correct, Leia had volunteered to join the attack on the next vessel they were to raid for supplies. This particular ship was said to be carrying proton bombs, something the Rebellion would love to have more of.

The princess had heard the whispers and seen the looks as she emerged wearing an orange flightsuit and approached her borrowed fighter.

Now, however, Leia pushed those things aside. Leia slipped into battle-mode as she had been trained to do, though she took a measure of comfort in the knowledge that Artoo had volunteered to be her droid for the battle. When the timer counted to zero she pulled back on her hyperspace levers and was greeted with the sight of an Imperial freighter leaving an otherwise neutral space-dock.

" _Alright boys, the target has been painted,_ " Wedge Antilles announced over the squadron's frequency. Leia looked down to see the freighter marked red, indicating it as the target, and nodded as Wedge went on. " _Split into trios as discussed. Rogue Thirteen, you're with Rogues Leader, Two and Three._ "

"Copy that," Leia replied, moving into position as the other X-wings split into formation and came in at the freighter.

Red laserfire spewed put from the small one-man ships as the Alliance task-force bore down on the freighter. They had speed and surprise on their side, but the freighter would reach the jump point for hyperspace in five minutes, so that didn't leave a lot of room for error.

" _Rogues Seven through Twelve focus on taking down their shields. Leader, Two, Three and Thirteen will take out their communications array first, and then Four, Five and Six can disable the hyperdrive!_ " Wedge ordered.

Several acknowledgements were heard, and Leia took in the larger ship. "Artoo, can you find the communications array for me?"

As she conversed with her droid Leia focused on staying clear of the return fire now being shot at them from the enemy. Leia dodged the larger green laserfire with relative ease, and she was pleased to know she was doing well so far. But there was still a lot of battle to go.

 _It's near the cockpit, on the starboard side of the ship, topside._ Artoo answered while Leia watched two sets of wing-trios raze the shields of the freighter like flies to a piece of dung.

Artoo showed her the precise location of the communications suite, and Leia nodded. By now the freighter would have alerted the nearest Imperial vessel to the attack, which meant help was likely on the way. "Thanks."

Leia saw the shields flicker dangerously on the larger ship and she knew they were weak enough that her shots might now get through. "Rogue Leader I'm going in."

Leia veered in the indicated direction, listening as Wedge replied that he was right with her. He also called for Rogues Two and Three to form a new wing-pair and make sure there weren't any nasty surprises waiting for them.

Leia spied the communications array and she aimed for it, but though her shots were on target, the freighter abruptly barrel-rolled away, and Leia had to jink hard port to avoid a collision.

She went out several yards before she hit her thrusters just so, feathered her brakes and flipped a one-eighty to come back in at the freighter while other X-wings took shots at the engines that would allow the ship to jump to lightspeed.

Leia half-expected the ship to roll again, and wasn't disappointed when it in fact did just that. Leia was ready, however, rolling in the opposite direction and taking a shot at the communication equipment as the two ships rolled by each other. The young woman saw the shields on the larger ship finally sputter out just before her shots hit true.

She was then rewarded with a brilliant flash and a whoop escaped her.

" _Well done Thirteen!_ " Wedge cheered. " _That was some killer flying!_ "

Leia smiled somewhat bashfully at the open praise, able to sense that Wedge in fact meant every word. That was something she wasn't used to save from her brother.

"Thank you, Lead," she murmured, moving back in to help the other Rogues take the freighter down.

" _Let's wrap this up, everyone!_ " Wedge went on. " _Only two minutes 'till they get away!_ "

Leia watched as three other Rogues came in from a sharp angle to pepper the engines. Now that the ship was about to go down, Leia felt it in the Force when the Imperials sought to fire away at the Rebels with more of their ship's limited weaponry.

" _We need to take out those turbolasers, or we won't be getting on that ship when it's time,_ " Wedge called.

" _I'm on it, Leader,"_ Hobbie replied, and he indeed dove in toward the ship, following its bow with such precision that Leia whistled softly. She had seen her father and brother fly like that, but few others.

Hobbie's X-wing pulled up at the last second and a missile was shot into the starboard turbolaser, and the thing exploded in a brilliant fireball that the smaller ship barely made it through.

"Hobbie, are you okay?" Leia asked worriedly.

" _I got a little singed, but I'm alright,_ " Hobbie returned.

Leia nodded to herself and then had to shut her eyes against the brilliant flash as the engines finally blew out on the Imperial freighter. Moments after the second turbolaser blew, and Leia pumped a fist.

" _Rogue Leader to the_ Yellow Fling _, we're ready for a pickup!"_ Wedge called over the comm. unit. There was a larger Alliance freighter waiting in two minutes out for them to signal, and Leia felt her hopes of success rise as phase one of the operation was completed.

Leia and the other Rogues moved out of the path of the out of the path of the _Yellow Fling_ as she appeared, already extending a docking tube so the Alliance could board the Imperial ship.

Leia spoke up then from her X-wing. "Rogue Thirteen to Yellow Fling, use caution upon entering, the Imperials will likely ambush anyone who comes aboard. And expect the cargo to be tagged so it can be traced."

" _Will do, Thirteen, thanks._ " Leia noticed the other's barely restrained annoyance at being told how to do his job, but Leia didn't back down.

She felt it in the Force when the ground-troops engaged in battle, and despite her warning, she felt a few Rebels get injured, with two being killed. Leia winced at that, and waited with baited breath as the fight continued, with a secondary group entering the Imperial freighter to retrieved the cargo as previously planned.

The first wave was to keep the Empire busy while the second retrieved the supplies. Leia had just felt a victorious shift in the troopers aboard the Imperial vessel when a shiver of warning went up her spine.

"Hurry it up _Yellow Fling_ , we're about to have company!" Leia warned.

Not thirty seconds later an Imperial-class Star Destroyer appeared, though thankfully it was currently out of firing range. But Leia knew it would close the distance quickly.

" _Stang!_ " Wedge swore on the Rogue's frequency. "Yellow Fling _, we need to go NOW!"_

" _We're_ _already retreating. Hold them off for another minute and we'll be all clear._ "

" _Copy that!_ " Wedge responded. " _Rogues, let's give them some cover._ "

Leia nodded even though no one could see, and veered toward the approaching Star Destroyer, now marked as the _Ravager_ on her scopes. Thirteen X-wings scattered and began making careful runs at the _Ravager_ , though in reality their efforts were doing little.

Leia didn't complain, however, even as the larger ship opened fire. Then, of course, a couple wings of TIE fighters were loosed and the battle became a little more even as dogfights broke out in the space between the _Ravager_ and the _Yellow Fling_ , which was now releasing its hold on the disabled freighter.

" _They're away, let's go home Rogues!_ " Wedge ordered.

Leia dodged the incoming fire from a pair of TIE fighters and as she leveled out she saw the Alliance ship disappear. Leia let out a breath of relief, though it was short lived as several green flashes lit up her shields. Leia grimaced as they flickered dangerously and she dipped below the enemy's line of fire, looping around to come in behind them.

Leia loosed a salvo of laserfire and the left-most TIE exploded in a fiery ball. Leia saw Rogue Five appear then, a gaggle of TIEs on his tail.

" _Five pull to port!_ " someone called.

" _I can't shake them!"_ Five cried as he tried to roll away, but the TIE's refused to leave him alone. One hit a part on the man's X-wing and it began to trail smoke.

" _Get out of there!_ "

" _I... aahh!_ " Five's final scream was cut off as his ship exploded, and there was a moment of stunned silence before Wedge's strained voice broke through.

" _Twelve don't you do anything stupid! Let's get out of here while we still can!_ "

A few X-wings vanished almost instantly as they leapt to lightspeed upon the command, while others had to evade TIE's before they jumped.

Leia hung back with Leader and Twelve as the other obviously debated going against Wedge's orders. Leia took another hit from the pursuing TIE fighters and now she felt her danger sense flare.

"It's now or never you two!" Leia warned. They were the only Rebels left in the area at this point.

" _Go, Thirteen,"_ Wedge replied as Twelve finally veered away. " _We will be right behind you._ "

Leia punched it, hearing Artoo twitter sharply as she did so... and Leia gasped when something hit her ship just as it jumped into hyperspace, though unconsciousness took her soon after that.


	24. Chapter 23

**Chapter Twenty-Three :**

"Your Highness," the image of the Sullustan pirate he had hired through Fett to offer Solo a job bowed low. "I saw Solo, though he was alone when I met with him."

"I'm sure his companions were not far away. What do you have to report?" Vader asked.

"I sent Solo to Thila as you ordered, Majesty, and I believe he left already. He should be there by tomorrow evening."

"You have done well, Pirate. Expect to be well compensated for this," Vader told the other.

"Thank you, Your Highness."

Vader cut the transmission and stood looking out over the stars through the viewport. He and Fett had decided to simply forgo the finding of rarities once Fett's tracker had located the _Falcon_ on Ord Mantell. Both the Emperor and the bounty hunter knew the smuggler and his crew would be looking for hire, and the bounty hunter's contact list had paid off well.

Vader turned from the viewport and settled upon the corner of his lush bed, eyes closing as he sought his son's mind once more. He was ready to fire away with the next vision he'd been planning for a few days now.

 **00000**

Luke was resting in his bunk on the _Millennium Falcon_ while he and Han waited for Chewie and Nella to return to the ship also. Han had commed the pair soon after they'd arrived on the ship themselves, relaying that a job had been found.

Luke didn't know if Han would be willing to listen to Luke, but something kept whispering to the young man to trust the young woman who'd come to him, and also her employer.

Noises were heard as the ramp lowered in the bowels of the ship, followed by annoyed howling. Luke sighed softly and hefted himself up off the bed, making his way out into the lobby. Chewbacca was complaining about something, but Luke only caught the tail end of his words upon his arrival.

[The blasted fool nearly lost his arm...] Chewbacca sounded miffed, and Luke could only guess why.

Luke sidled over to Nella. "How are you doing?"

"I am quite well, Master Velius, thank you," she answered, sounding quite happy indeed. "My circuits have been on fire with the information gathering, and it's been... what is the word? _Exhilarating_."

Luke smiled softly. "Yeah, the first mission is usually the most interesting."

"Ah, come off it, Chewie," Han was telling his co-pilot. "You know the guy was probably soused. It's a spaceport; people do it all the time here."

[There was also a podrace going on,] Chewie mentioned, piquing Luke's interest.

"They're still doing that out here?" Luke queried, surprised.

"It's illegal nowadays, but yes, some places still run races," Han answered for the Wookiee. "But we don't have time for small chatter right now; we've got to get in the air."

Chewie grunted and placed his furry hands upon his hips. [Don't you think the rest of us should be brought up to speed first, Han?]

Han paused. "Yeah, alright."

He produced a datapad and activated it, showing a map with a route highlighted. "The man I spoke to wants us to go to Thila and pick up a shipment for him. He stashed it there a while back and hasn't been able to get back around to picking it up."

"How convenient," Luke muttered, and Han shot him a look.

"Anyway, we have coordinates, and we are to grab the stuff, which seems to be a lot, and then take it to his headquarters on Reecee." Han indicated the long route from Ord Mantell to Thila, and then to Reecee..."

And as Han highlighted Thila, something in Luke went utterly cold.

"Are you sure this job is the real deal?" Luke tried to keep his voice steady, hoping the quaver he felt within didn't translate out loud.

Han frowned at Luke anyway. "You don't trust me, Kid, is that it?" He stated, the stress showing through in his demeanor. Han was anxious to get Jabba's crosshairs off his back.

Luke blinked, stung. "Of course that's not it! I'm just worried that maybe this job isn't what it seems."

Han looked away, and Luke wondered if Han was actually upset— and if so then for what reason— or simply feeding off of Luke's sudden bad vibes. "I know the man wasn't the most reputable guy, but the job is clean, I know it."

"You know it is, or you _hope_ it is because you're desperate?" Luke countered, a little more sharply than he'd intended. Han's head snapped back around and Luke looked away, ashamed of himself. "I... I'm sorry Han, that was uncalled for."

Han studied the young man. "If you've got a counter offer to my plan, I'd love to hear it."

Luke opened his mouth to speak... but no words emerged. It was as though something was now bidding him to wait, be patient. In fact, he heard a whisper of just that in the Force itself: _Be patient, my son..._ Befuddled, Luke didn't get the chance to look deeper into it before Han nodded shortly.

"I didn't think so. Let's go." Han stalked off for the cockpit and after an awkward moment of silence in the lobby, Chewbacca lumbered slowly after the smuggler.

Nella edged closer to Luke. "Master... are you feeling okay? I'm detecting elevated levels of stress within you."

Luke managed a tiny smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. "I'll be alright, Nella, thank you."

It wasn't really true: Luke was now on edge, and he couldn't even really say why save for that cold feeling from earlier. What was it about Thila that had Luke thinking things were not as they seemed?

Luke wondered if he— not Han— was the one on edge, but then again, the Force had never steered him wrong when it came to these warnings. So what _was_ he feeling?

Luke turned as the ship shuddered beneath his feet and lifted from the ground. With a world-weary sigh, Luke retreated back to his room and shut the door, though Nella slipped inside before he did so.

Luke settled onto his bunk, staring at the underside of the one above and then shut his eyes for a moment.

 _Stars whizzed by as his ship flew through the red laserfire showering his vessel. But none of that mattered as he jinked and juked like a wild animal, avoiding the deadly barrage as though it was second nature to him._

 _And it was._

 _But he wasn't alone._

 _His ship warned him of a target lock someone acquired on him, and a voice spoke in his ear via the comlink bud._ "Hold steady, Son, I'm on him."

 _Luke's lips lifted in a wicked grin as Darth Vader— the best pilot in all the galaxy— appeared from nowhere, shooting across Luke's own ship from bow to stern. He was so close that Luke could have reached out and touched the underside of his father's ship._

 _Seconds later Luke saw the flash of a fireball as Vader destroyed the man who'd dared target the Prince._

 _Luke peeled off and Vader joined him, the two of them flying in perfect synchronization, the sight one to truly behold. They worked perfectly together, the unbeatable pair..._

 _The scene shifted and they were now on the ground, fighting back to back as stormtroopers fought all around them to ward off the ambush that had happened. Luke's blade flashed to cover his father's briefly unprotected side as a shot sizzled past._

 _Vader in turn speared an enemy soldier who tried to take advantage of Luke's momentary distraction to kill him from behind. Luke and Vader worked in tandem, slowly but steadily working their way to the other edge of the battlefield where Leia, who had been heading the other wave of troopers, was being held down._

 _She had but one blade whereas Luke and Vader were two, and they cut down foe after foe, working their steady way to their third family member._

 _Luke was facing her so he saw it when it happened, but one moment Leia was standing strong, her blade lit and her face set in a defiant sneer, and the next a trio of Rebels ambushed her after throwing a stun grenade that took out her escorting stormtroopers._

 _She screamed as blasterfire ripped into her body..._

Luke twisted and turned on his cot, in agony to see his sister taken down like that... and then a very real blast of pain slammed into him.

" _Leia!_ " Luke screamed, gasping awake, his heart pounding nearly out of his chest as he fought for air. He rolled over in bed and ended up falling over the edge, grasping at his heart and head simultaneously as Leia's real-life pain swarmed him.

Then— just as terrifying— Leia's presence abruptly muted, and Luke panicked. " _NO!_ "

He leapt to his feet and, tears streaming from his face, raced to the cockpit. " _Wait_ , we have to go somewhere else!"

Han and Chewbacca both jumped at his sudden, harried arrival. Both the man and the Wookiee took one look at Luke and gaped at his complete loss of control.

"Kid, what..."

"We can't go to Thila!" Luke continued, his voice nearly shrill. "I need to get to her!"

"Get to whom?" Han demanded, rising, and Luke never took notice of the starlines swirling past. "What's going on?"

Luke ignored him and leapt for the controls. "Stop the ship!" he hollered, nearly succeeding in grasping the levers that would bring the _Falcon_ out of hyperspace.

"KID!" Han shouted, but Luke was deflected roughly by two meters of fur that lifted him from the deck and carried him out of the cockpit.

Luke struggled the entire time, his tears intensifying. "No! No, I need to get to her, please! PLEASE!"

Han, utterly baffled and deeply concerned— Velius had ever lost control so completely— followed, though first he made sure the ship's controls hadn't actually been interrupted from their task.

Chewbacca took Velius to the lobby and sat him down, though the young man tried valiantly to break away. He even resorted to using the Force, though in his current state all he managed was to lightly bump the Wookie aside.

" _Velius_ _stop!_ " Han thundered, managing to finally get the Kid's attention.

Velius looked to Han with such anguish of soul that the smuggler's heart clenched unexpectedly. The dark-haired youth's nearly-broken sobs weren't helping matters any.

"Now," Han said sternly, standing in front of Velius while Chewie prepared himself to stop the Kid again if necessary. "What in _space_ is going on?"

Deciding he had little choice now but to impart _some_ of the truth, Luke opened his mouth. "I... I felt my... my s-sister... she was in deep pain... and then _nothing_! I... I have to get to her, see that she's alright!" His voice cracked. "I... I can't _lose_ her! Not _ever!_ "

Luke bowed his head into his hands, sobbing. "She's... she's all I... h-have left!"

Han stood, dumbfounded. The Kid had a sister? And he'd _felt_ her pain?

At a loss as to what he should do or say, Han looked to Chewie for help. The Wookiee shrugged helplessly as Velius continued to weep in front of them. The pair of smugglers didn't need the Kid's Force powers to feel the deep-seated hurt in the young man before them.

Han felt completely out of his element. What was he supposed to do or say at a moment like this? One thing was for certain, Han knew: he couldn't just leave the Kid alone in this.

Swallowing his considerable pride, Han moved to sit beside Velius and gently wrap an arm around the young man's shoulders. Velius stiffened initially in shock, but Han gently pulled the other into his side, urging him with the other hand to rest his head on Han's shoulder.

"It's okay, Kid. Let it out before it eats you away," Han murmured. "I'm not very good at this whole comforting thing, but I do have a shoulder you can cry on."

Velius seemed to consider that, and then he gave in, burying his face in his friend's shoulder and weeping. Han didn't know it, but the young man was weeping for far more than Leia's demise, whatever that was.

Luke wept bitter, lonely tears that he'd suppressed for years, something he knew Leia shared and understood. Luke wept for a father willing to bully his own son into doing whatever the elder Vader wanted from him, he wept for the loss of the warm man who'd once loved Luke.

Luke wasn't sure at this rate if his grief would ever stop, but this situation was proving to be cathartic for him, and so he let it happen. He was still safe in his anonymity, and Luke felt a measure of comfort in that. Although, as he neared the end of his weeping Luke could feel the Darkness slithering along the layers of the Force, and he knew his current freedom was coming to an end.

Luke would not be returning from Thila with the crew of the _Falcon_. Luke was certain now that Thila was a trap, and he would have to see to it that Han and Chewie did not suffer for Luke's actions against Vader.

Luke would sacrifice himself for his friends. And now that Luke was calming down, he felt a measure of unexpected calm settle upon him, as though he was a soldier who knew he was walking out onto a battlefield that would be his last.

Luke lifted his head from Han's now soaked shirt and wiped at his face. "Thank you, Han." His voice was a hoarse whisper. "And I'm sorry for earlier."

Han eyed Velius, though choosing to focus on another topic. "What's this about a sister, now?"

[Careful Han,] Chewie admonished.

"It's alright," Luke murmured, not realizing that his awareness of the Wookiee had suddenly become clearer to him. "Let's just say that my sister and I have been... _victims_ of our parents' greed for power and lust for absolute control."

"Wait, what?" Han gaped at the other. "Like... slaves?"

Luke snorted morbidly. "That's one way to put it, I guess." He sighed, exhausted. "I... really don't want to talk about it anymore, please. I'm alright now, really."

Han hesitated, but Velius was already pulling away. "Ah, okay. But y'know if you want to expound later, you can."

Luke gazed at the two for a short time, and something in the young man's gaze worried Han. "I suspect things will become quite clear sooner than you expect."

Without elaborating, and ignoring the confusion in Han's face, Luke locked himself in his cabin. He sat on the bed again and put his head in his hands, elbows resting on his knees.

Nella approached gingerly. "Master Velius..."

"Luke. It's Master Luke now, Nella," Luke murmured, looking up and motioning her closer. "And we have a few things to discuss."

 **00000**

Darth Vader sat rigidly where he was, having also been taken aback by his daughter's unexpected pain. But it was her now-absence that had him most on edge.

What had happened to his daughter?!

Rising suddenly from his perch, Vader raced for his communications unit and punched in Padmé's private code.

She answered, and upon seeing his face spoke urgently. "What is it?"

"Where is Leia?" he asked roughly.

Padmé blinked. "Don't you know?"

Vader lifted a brow. "Why would I know? I've been away, and last I heard she was on Coruscant."

Padmé's eyes narrowed. "She told me you gave her an assignment and left the other day."

Vader sat slowly in his seat. "I gave Leia no assignment."

At that tidbit of information, Padmé seemed to be thinking, and Vader let her, knowing his wife well enough to realize when she was putting puzzle pieces together.

"I will need to look into this further..." Padmé murmured at last. "Leia lied to me for some reason." She straightened. "I don't know where she is, but why did you call me so suddenly to ask if I did?"

"Because she's been hurt," Vader ground out, though his anger wasn't directed at his wife.

Padmé gasped. "Hurt? How?"

Vader thinned his lips. "I don't know, Padmé."

His wife closed her eyes. "We will just have to track her ship, find out where she went."

Vader nodded. "Will you do that, please? I nearly have Luke, and I need to focus on that."

Padmé didn't hide her surprise. "Already? Wow, you're still the best."

Vader smiled at her change in tone, and the compliment. "Thank you, Angel. Let me know what you find out about Leia."

"You will know as soon as I do." Padmé promised, signing off.

Vader settled back in his chair, thinking. Something was happening with his daughter, and he needed to know what that something was. But though she had been injured, a deeper look into the Force revealed that she was still alive.

Along with that came the whisper of Darkness urging patience. Willing to oblige— the Force had never steered Vader wrong— the Emperor returned to bed and laid down to rest.

* * *

 **(** **A/N** **:** _Sorry for the delay yet again everyone, February was a crazy month. Lots of sick days between myself and my family, and yet the Lord blessed me richly. Thank you all for your patience with me. Hopefully March goes smoother haha._ **)**


	25. Chapter 24

**Chapter Twenty Four:**

She wasn't sure what drew her from her peaceful darkness, but gradually the night faded to gray, lightening until all she had to do was open her eyes. Before she did so, however, she tried to recall what had happened.

Where was she? How had she gotten there? What was wrong with her?

A steady beeping held her attention for a time until she recognized it at last as a heart-rate monitor and then relaxed. Until that notion clicked.

Her eyes did open then, fluttering as if the job was too much for them at first. She blinked a few times and tried to filter the images and light she was now seeing. Leia sucked in a breath when her vision finally cleared enough for her to see that she was indeed in a medical room.

And not just that, but she was the one in the bed.

 _How...?_ Leia's thoughts were interrupted by a string of joyous bleeps and other mechanical noises. The princess turned her head and spied the familiar domed shape of Artoo Detoo approaching from where he appeared to have been waiting in a corner.

"Artoo?" Leia murmured, though it came out a little rough on the ears.

 _Dooeep!_ Artoo replied, coming close and peering at her with his optical sensor.

"Artoo, what's going on?" Leia asked worriedly. "Where am I?"

 _The X-wing was hit just before the jump to lightspeed,_ Artoo answered, making sure the data display was visible to her. _You were knocked out, and I had to exit hyperspace early to avoid a critical meltdown. Lucky for you Rogue Squadron doesn't leave a man behind. Wedge came looking for you when I sent a distress beacon to his ship._

Leia blinked. "Oh." She looked at her body. It didn't look too bad... but then, she wasn't a medic. "Artoo, how long have I been unconscious?"

 _Two days now._ Artoo mourned.

"Two days!" Leia cried, wincing at how the action hurt her dry throat. "This can't be happening! I should have been home already... Mother will know something is up, and will want an explanation." Leia shuddered. "Oh... and if she informs Father..."

Leia looked to Artoo, her eyes fearful. "What are we going to do?"

 _We will think of something, Mistress Leia,_ Artoo reassured her. _Don't you worry. But for now, rest._

Leia slumped back against the mattress. "Do I have a choice?" she muttered.

Artoo bumped her arm gently, and despite herself the princess smiled somewhat. "Thank you Artoo, for looking out for me as always. I owe you big time."

At that moment the door opened, admitting a woman in medical clothing and a dark-haired man Leia recognized as Rogue Leader Wedge Antilles.

"Oh, you're awake!" The medic beamed. "It's good to see you aware again, Princess."

Leia shifted uncertainly. "I don't want to be a bother to anyone, especially since I know the Alliance isn't flush with supplies..."

Wedge held up a hand. "Hold up there, Princess. You earned the right to be taken care of in my book. Thanks to you the Alliance now has an abundance of supplies we were previously lacking _and_ you were on the front lines. I don't know of many leaders who do that."

The medic nodded avidly. "Agreed. You just take it easy."

"I can't stay much linger, Miss..." Leia hesitated, not knowing the woman's name.

"Oh, my name is Heather," the dark-haired woman replied with a welcoming grin. "I've been looking after you." She approached. "I need to check your vitals, and then I will see about getting you something to eat."

Leia nodded and held still for Heather as the medic checked Leia, including the bandages she now saw were around her waist, arms and legs. "How badly was I injured?"

"You mostly had burns from the ship's damage, but there were some shrapnel injuries too from the initial hit to the ship. Oh, and your head took a nasty hit," Heather indicated the head wrap. "Luckily it was just a gash, noting too serious."

Leia thinned her lips, idly wondering if her brother had sensed her predicament. And if so... how had he taken it?

Heather finished her work and bowed out with the promise to return later. Leia thanked her and watched her go.

Wedge remained, moving closer and eyeing her oddly before Artoo blooped and drew the man's gaze. "I must say I have never seen such devotion in a droid before. He's hardly left your side since we recovered you."

Leia's smile was small but genuine. "Good old Artoo, he's been in the family for a while now. He's a good friend."

Wedge gave her a calculating glance. "You see him as a friend? He's just a droid..."

Leia grimaced. "Don't tell that to Artoo and especially not to my brother... Luke and Artoo are even better friends than _I_ am with him."

Wedge tilted his head curiously. "Your brother? You mean Prince Luke?"

Leia nodded, wondering if she'd given away too much information, even if they knew of her twin.

"What's he like, if I may ask?" Wedge inquired, pulling up a chair. "All I know of the royal twins is what the press feeds us or what the Emperor and Empress allow to be known."

Leia blinked in surprise. "Why do you want to know, if I may ask?"

Wedge shrugged. "Idle curiosity." At Leia's dubious look, he snickered. "Alright, so maybe you aren't what I expected you to be... and if _you_ aren't then maybe Prince Luke isn't either."

Leia felt an unexpected sense of camaraderie warm her and she took the risk and opened up. "Luke is such a gentle soul really, when you get past the mask he wears for our parent's benefit. He's an excellent pilot, and he is one of the best swordsmen I've ever seen, second only to our father. Luke can best his teachers in combat easily now."

Leia sighed softly as she went on. "He's also a great mechanic. Loves to tinker and work with his hands... him and Artoo have a habit of fixing rundown ships and such."

Wedge considered. "He seems nice... but he's also a killer, if I may be so bold."

Leia's eyes sharpened and Wedge flinched under that stare. "He is _not_ a killer!"

Wedge held his ground, especially now that he had her off-kilter. She was more likely to slip up now if she was lying to him. "Yet he was clearly shown to be just that not so long ago. The entire galaxy saw it."

Leia ground her teeth. "You don't know the half of it, Antilles. You don't know what we've been through... but..." Leia hesitated again, and then sighed. "Luke isn't a monster at all, and he didn't _want_ to kill that poor fellow either, let alone on live holovision. He actually hates killing, but... well, he does what is necessary."

Leia looked down. "We both do. It's how we've survived this long."

"Survived?" Wedge clarified, befuddled.

Leia offered a bittersweet lift of the lips. "Luke and I are royalty, but we're treated as prizes to be won and things to be shown off rather than children of the ruling couple."

"Oh," Wedge whispered, not sure how to respond to that.

"Don't try to offer sympathy," Leia pled softly as if reading his thoughts. "We don't want pity; just to be given the chance to prove ourselves away from our parents. We do things under their direction that we aren't proud of, but we also have little choice."

Leia's practical side was seriously wondering if she had hit her head harder than anyone realized. Why was she giving away so much personal information to a man she had only just met?

Wedge straightened and cleared his throat. "Hey, I won't go spilling the nitty gritty to everyone I see, Princess. I'm not like that. I may tell one or two of the Rogues, but they're good men that I trust with my life. And we owe you big time now, so... your secret is safe with me. With us. You're a Rogue now, even if you don't fly with us again."

Wedge carefully laid a hand on her arm. "And you can fly with us any time, Princess, especially after this last mission. You have gained the Rogues' trust, if nothing else. We believe you, and believe _in_ you now. We'll do what we can to support you in your quest to help the Alliance."

A weight Leia hadn't realized was there lifted from her shoulders at that and she smiled warmly at the man. "Thank you very much, Commander."

"Wedge." He corrected. "Please call me Wedge, unless we're in public."

Leia nodded. "Likewise, you can call me Leia."

"Thank you; though forgive me if I choose to stick with Princess." Wedge winked in good fun. "Now, I believe you have some rest to get, and I am now keeping you from it. Good evening, Leia."

"Good night Wedge. And thank you."

 **00000**

Luke stared at his reflection in the refresher, taking in the brown eyes and dark hair that had been his safe haven for weeks now. Luke had hidden his true identity for so long now that he almost didn't want to go back to his natural hair and eye color.

But it was time now. Time to stop hiding... and he couldn't shrink now. Not even when things got horrible, which he knew they would. With a heavy heart, Luke picked up the hair-dye removal and began the process of removing his disguise.

 **00000**

Padmé rested her head back against the headrest at the back of the oversized bathtub, letting the hot water and plethora of scented bubbles soothe her. She breathed in the scent of smoke from the candles on the shelf beside her tub, and closed her eyes to let the quiet of her solitude settle upon her like a blanket.

She didn't want to think yet, to ponder on what could have possibly driven her daughter to lie to her mother and run off. What was Leia up to? Padmé had thought of little else since talking wither husband, and she only wanted some peace before she went crazy.

Using a technique her husband had taught her, Padmé cleared her mind and let it remain blank. She breathed in a sigh of relief and stayed that way for a very long time.

 **00000**

Vader strode on to the bridge of the Super Star Destroyer _Executor_ , noting the salutes and bows he got respectively as he passed the crew pits. Vader, willing to give his people a boost because this crew was excellent at performing any task he gave them, nodded to them in return.

When he reached the viewport, he stood before it, clasping his hands behind his back and taking a slow breath. The time was nearly at hand, he could feel it with every fiber of his being.

Soon he would reclaim his wayward son. Luke would be brought home... and then he would be punished. The boy's... _vacation_ was over, and Luke would be put in his proper place. And if Vader could not persuade Luke to give in to the Dark Side on his own, then Vader was prepared to resort to... _forcing_ the issue.

Even Luke wasn't strong enough to resist hssiss poison. No one was.

"Your Majesty," Grand Admiral Piett greeted as he joined his emperor.

"Admiral," Vader replied. "What do you have to report?"

"We are one hour from reversion, and the fleet is prepared to move into position immediately. We will have the trap set within two hours, Majesty."

Vader nodded, pleased. "Excellent work, Admiral. Once the Millennium Falcon arrives, I want it snared in a tractor beam. However, no one is to board that ship without me present, understood?"

"Yes Your Highness." Piett bowed his head.

"I will not have my son damaged, either, Admiral," Vader warned, pitting the Admiral with a pointed gaze. "Anyone who hurts him, or if the _Falcon_ is destroyed instead of captured, the party responsible will find their lives torn apart piece by piece until they are the only ones left."

"I understand, Majesty," Piett answered calmly. It was one thing Vader respected about Piett: his ability to remain calm despite threats and such. It made him all the more valuable to Vader's forces.

"Also, I want you to keep an eye on Fett's ship." Vader continued. "If he tries anything then destroy him. I won't have him foiling my plans, deal or not."

Piett smiled somewhat, proof of his opinion of Fett. "As you wish, Your Majesty."

Vader dismissed the Admiral, who left to relay orders as needed, and Vader stood where he was the remainder of the hour in hyperspace. He was thus the first one to lay eyes on the planet below once the starlines became pinpricks in a black sky.

Reecee wasn't a planet with much galactic importance, which made it an ideal place for people to hide. But Vader wasn't interested in anyone save Luke.

He _would_ reclaim his child today, or Force take him.


	26. Chapter 25

**Chapter Twenty Five:**

Leia was itching to get out of medical. She needed to get home, and she was on edge with the shivers that had been racing across the Force since last evening. Something was about to happen; Leia could feel it.

And Luke was at the center of it, their father second in line.

Leia shivered to think of the day those two finally met with lethal blows. But she knew that day wasn't any time soon. No: Luke may want free of their parents, but he wasn't at the point of challenging Vader like that. Not yet.

As for Leia, she hadn't been cleared to leave medical yet, so all she could do was sit and wait.

But that also allowed her to plan for how she would explain herself to her parents. No doubt her father and mother were aware of Leia's fake mission by now and wanted an explanation.

Leia sighed wearily as the chrono on the wall marked another hour gone. Her sole source of constant comfort was Artoo, who refused to leave her side. Wedge had brought in a portable charging unit for the little astromech to keep his power cells fresh with, and Leia was grateful.

For Leia, Artoo was fast becoming the friend Luke had in the little droid. It was almost like Leia had a loyal pet to stand and guard her, but also bring needed comfort in their sweet, caring way. Leia knew she owed her sanity to Artoo, and she made a mental note to do something special for the little astromech when she had the chance.

For now, however, all she could do was wait and see what happened that was making the Force itself quiver with anticipation.

 **00000**

Luke gazed into the eyes of an almost-stranger. He had become so accustomed to seeing himself in his disguise that his natural looks were foreign to him anymore. His blond hair was still a little dark, but the last traces of hair dye would pass with time. His eyes, no longer using the brown-colored contacts, were back to their normal, healthy blue.

But as he gazed into his own refection, he noted that his eyes, while back to their normal hue, had changed overall. He saw in his gaze the sadness of a son who had lost his parents' love years ago. He saw the deepening of understanding that had come from his sojourn into the galaxy. He saw the change that had overcome him while he'd been relatively free of his parents: Luke had seen the galaxy for once while out from under his parent's oppressive shadow.

But most of all, Luke saw someone who was teetering on the edge of full rebellion or finally giving in to his parents just to stop all the fighting. But deep within him, Luke knew that his bended knee would only bring himself more heartache, more pain... and he wouldn't be able to live with himself afterwards.

Luke had spent the time of his absence from 'home' thinking of what he would do now. Well, for the moment Luke knew he was going to be returned to Coruscant. But it was no longer home for him.

Home for Luke was wherever Leia was, and that was all.

Luke feared what awaited him on Coruscant, but he also knew, somehow, that it would begin the second leg of his journey to become his own person. Thoughts of Leia had come to Luke as he removed his hair dye and contacts, and he'd used the mundane tasks to allow his mind to wander, so much so that he had driven himself mad with worry over his sister.

What had become of her? He still recalled the echoes of her pain, but it was his vision that worried him the most.

Her pain, which he had finally worked out to have been separate from the vision— just happening at the same time— had been very real. And while he knew she wasn't dead, he still didn't know where she was, what had happened, or if she was alright.

Luke eventually pushed away his worry for Leia so he could focus on what he knew he had to do now. Nella had been given her instructions, and he trusted her to follow them. Now all he needed was the courage to face Han.

Luke hated to think of how his friend would react to the truth of who had been flying with the smuggler and the Wookiee all this time. Han would no doubt be angry, feel betrayed, and Luke didn't blame the man.

But Luke had come to see Han as a true friend, and even a brother. Luke loved him as a brother, and he didn't want to lie to Han anymore. A cold shiver of premonition traveled up his spine, causing the young man to straighten.

Luke closed his eyes, taking deep, centering breaths and waiting for the moment he would be needed.

 **00000**

Vader stood ramrod straight in front of the forward viewport. Gaze on the stars where the _Falcon_ was supposed to exit hyperspace. His son was coming, and Vader was ready.

His Super Star Destroyer was waiting to collect the piece of junk Solo dared call a ship into its mouth-like hangar bay on the belly of the massive spacecraft. TIE's would swarm the smaller vessel and overwhelm it, allowing Vader's flagship to get within tractor beam range. Then, once the freighter was docked, Vader's elite 501st would board the ship and apprehend its occupants...

Unless Luke proved to be problematic. Vader may have to use caution, something he sensed in the Force.

Vader lifted a brow. Luke had never stood up to his father before, but after his son's hiatus from duty, Vader wasn't entirely sure what to expect from his child.

Vader pursed his lips thoughtfully, willing for now to let his son play his hand.

 **00000**

Han may not have had the Kid's hokey powers, but he did have a gut sense of his own. It had been born of his harsh, only-count-on-yourself life and Han had never questioned it. He knew when something bad was coming their way.

He knew it now, and he was admittedly afraid, though he'd die before he said that out loud. He did glance to Chewie, though, and voiced his opinion of their situation.

"I don't like this, Chewie," Han muttered.

The Wookiee gave the human a look that any other person would have cringed at. [This whole job was _your_ idea, Han. You shot down the Cub when he tried to speak out against it, and you were adamant that we do this. Now, when we are mere minutes out, you _finally_ question the job?]

Han glared at his copilot. "Hey, you don't want to have Jabba's target painted on your back anymore than I do, Pal. I'm not questioning the job, just the situation. Something doesn't add up here."

The Wookiee voiced his sarcastic rebuttal that a lot of things hadn't added up of late, and Han chose to ignore the jab. Though it was mostly because the navicomputer was now beeping an alert.

"Well, whatever it is, we're about to find out I suppose." Han flipped on the ship-wide comlink. "Kid, look sharp, we're exiting hyperspace."

He turned back to the controls and took the helm just as the counter hit ten, moving to zero. There was a ball of lead forming in his gut that was only getting larger, so Han looked to Chewie.

"Have the shields up as soon as we revert."

Chewie nodded, and Han pushed the hyperspace levers forward to take the _Millennium Falcon_ from lightspeed to sublight speed.

"Lucky for us, this job doesn't require us to go groundside," Han was remarking as the stars became pinpricks again. "The guy said we only have to dock on an old space station to get the..."

A proximity alarm wailed at them just as Chewie harned, pointing out the viewport.

"Fierfek!" Han swore viciously.

There, to the left of their own position, and looking as dangerous as they had always been claimed to be, was none other than a Super Star Destroyer.

Han instantly took his ship into a dive. "What in space is the Empire doing here?! No one cares about Reecee!"

Chewie roared his distress. [I don't know, but that doesn't look like your average Star Destroyer.]

Han glanced over to see the Wookiee punching commands into the computer and soon the hairy being tensed. "What?"

[Han, that's the Emperor's personal flagship... that is the _Executor!_ ] Chewie informed him with no small amount of anxiety.

Han's jaw dropped. "The _Emperor_?"

Another alert snapped Han's attention to it, and he growled under his breath. "We've got enemy fighters coming in!"

Chewie began flipping more switches, bringing their weaponry to life as Han maneuvered away from the first set of TIE fighters to reach them. A barrel roll to port freed him from their immediate range, only to bring him into targeting range of another group.

Han hissed a choice vulgarity and then had a moment to wonder why they weren't already firing back. "Where's the Kid?"

Chewie glanced at the back of the cockpit, as if seeing something Han couldn't. [Velius has been in the refresher for a long time now, Han. He may be sick.]

Han frowned. "He seemed perfectly fine to me outside of his attitude earlier." He punched the comm. again and shouted into the speaker. "Velius, make yourself useful and man a turret! We've got TIE fighters swarming us!"

He didn't expect to see the Kid appear in the door of the cockpit during his diatribe. "I'm right here, Han."

Han barely glanced his way. "Glad you could join us. Get to the top gun and try to get a few of those TIE fighters off our tail. We're going to get out of here."

Han put actions to words and started to turn the ship onto a new heading so they could jump to hyperspace. To his surprise, Velius didn't leave to do as Han had asked. He instead came to stand between the seats, his gaze on the Super Star Destroyer now heading in their direction and gaining quickly.

"You're not going to outrun the Emperor's ship, Han," Velius stated softly.

Han threw him an annoyed glare, a rebuttal on the tip of his tongue... and then Han froze when he took in the Kid's new appearance. Was _that_ what the young man had been doing in the refresher this whole time? Changing his hair and... eyes?

Han's distraction cost them, and Chewie bellowed as a TIE scored a hit on the Falcon that rocked the ship. The lights flickered, and Han spun back around to the controls, trying to quell his rising panic.

"What was hit?" Han demanded of his co-pilot.

[Sublight engine number two took a hit, but is still running well enough to get us out of here,] Chewie replied.

"They're not shooting to kill," Velius told Han, who ground his teeth in annoyance that the Kid was just standing there.

"Yeah?" Han snapped, glaring at the youth. "And how do you know that?"

Velius looked down, eyes closing briefly as he reached out a hand. "I'm sorry Han... so sorry that I dragged you into my problems."

Han frowned in confusion at the way the Kid was acting; something that doubled when the teen opened a hailing channel using a code Han _knew_ was restricted.

"ISSD _Executor_ , cease fire. Let me speak with the Emperor; code clearance white," Velius said in a voice Han had never heard him use before.

In the lapse of time between the Kid's bold move and the Empire's response, Han stared in open wariness. "Kid... Velius, what is going on?"

Velius sighed, his shoulders drooping somewhat. "My name is not Velius. It was just a front to cover up my identity. As was my previous look. I never wanted to hurt you... even when I was sent to kill you."

Han's befuddled reply was cut off by the burst of static that preceded an incoming transmission.

" _Attention_ Millennium Falcon, _prepare_ _to receive a transmission from the Emperor._ "

Han looked from the communications console, then to the looming hulk of the Super Star Destroyer, and finally back to the Kid. And then comprehension dawned on Han... and the lead ball in his gut doubled in size.

"You're..." Han whispered hoarsely.

Chewie frowned at Han, but didn't interrupt, though his curiosity to know what Han had figured out was plain. Han ignored everything but the teenager, a young man whose actions, skill set and overall behavior made a lot more sense now.

Han hadn't ever stopped to think much more of it, having had no reason to, but now that he did, he was caught between anger at being fooled and being honored that the Kid had chosen Han out of all people to trust. Han looked closely at the tow-headed youth with his intense, but sad blue eyes, and waited for the other human to confirm his suspicions.

"My name is Luke Vader," Velius said. "I am the Prince... and though you weren't aware of it because I erased the files, I have been marked as missing... or rather, it's said I was kidnapped by you two when I left my post."

Chewbacca jerked, his fangs showing in a bout of fury... and fear. [You are the Prince?! And we supposedly stole you from the Empire?!]

Luke Vader turned to the Wookiee, clearly apologetic. "Yes."

Han opened his mouth to speak, but at first nothing came out, and he was actually somewhat relieved when his chance was interrupted by a new voice over the communications array.

"You have a lot to explain, Son." Emperor Vader growled.

"I do," Luke answered calmly, but Han could hear the certainty of... _something_ in the other's tone. "However, I will not come willingly unless you meet my demands."

There was a pregnant pause, and Han could just imagine the Emperor lifting an eyebrow at that.

"You are hardly in any position to make such demands, Luke," Vader replied.

"I think I am," Luke responded. "You want me alive. That can still not happen."

The threat was implicit, and Han did a double-take. Why would the Kid let himself die instead of returning to his luxurious home? Then some of the teenager's remarks from the day he'd tried to kill Han resurfaced.

" _Do you really have to do it?" Han wanted to know._

" _Yes," Luke whispered urgently._

 _Han lifted a brow. "Why do you have to do the job?"_

 _Luke ground his teeth. "Because it's what I've been... trained to do. And if I don't then the retribution will be terrible."_

Han recalled how troubled the young man had always been, especially on that day. Luke had always been afraid of the Emperor, but Han had only thought it was fear of an apprentice to master.

Now Han suspected there as far more going on than he knew. Han's heart, despite the sting of betrayal— he wasn't happy about being lied to— panged with pity for the young man next to him.

"Name your terms then," Vader eventually ground out, clearly upset that he had to barter like this to get his son back.

"Han and Chewbacca get to go free," Luke declared firmly. "They had no idea who they've been harboring this whole time. I was under cover, so they are innocent in this. I will jettison in an escape pod. Once their ship is in hyperspace, I will allow myself to be picked up. Try to kill my friends, and I will not be returning with you to Coruscant."

Han blinked in surprise. The Kid wasn't trying to get himself free? He was trying to save his friends instead? As upset as Han was, he couldn't let the Kid throw himself away like this.

"Wait, Kid, no..." Han began to interject, ignoring the Emperor's hiss of disapproval at Han's nickname for the Prince of the galaxy. "Don't do this, we can still..."

"Han," Luke said softly, ending the smuggler's bold statement. "I can run no longer, and you can't fight this battle. Get free while you can."

Han glared, but this time it lacked the sting of true anger. Han didn't care in that moment that Luke had lied to him: he still _cared_ for the Kid... his little brother. "The hell I can't! This old bird's still got a few surprises in her!"

Luke actually smiled, albeit softly. "I know. But this is no longer your choice. I'm sorry." He returned his attention to the communications unit. "Father? Your answer?"

"I had planned to give your... _companions_ to Fett." Vader intoned. "But I am willing to alter the deal... for you. Just this once. I will let them go, but I will not remove their bounty. Fett will wait one hour and then come after the smuggler."

Luke nodded. "Agreed."

Han gaped as Luke then cut the transmission and turned to leave. The prince paused at the doorway and stood stiffly for a time before he turned. Han was taken aback to find Luke's face moist with tears.

"Thank you, both of you, for all you did for me," Luke whispered. "You opened my eyes... helped me see things I never would have before. You gave me a chance to figure myself out away from the oppression of my parents. I owe you one."

He met each of the smugglers' gazes. "I am truly sorry I lied to you and put you in danger. I didn't want my real identity to follow me everywhere and ruin any chance of a clean slate."

Luke turned to go. "I'll miss you both."

He was gone before Han could register the movement, but it was the sound of an escape pod's door opening that jolted Han from his stupor.

"Kid, wait!" Han shouted as he leapt from his chair to race after the teen.

Luke turned when Han got closer, and he looked a little wary. Han stopped somewhat awkwardly, but then spoke his mind. "What are you going back to?"

Luke's face fell enough that Han had his answer. "I'm going somewhere you can't follow," Luke said cryptically.

Han touched the other's shoulder. "I can't let you just walk to your fate."

Luke didn't answer, but instead placed a hand over Han's, gently pushing the limb away. "You can. I _must_ go. I won't let you and Chewie suffer for my mistakes. I will face my dues as they come to me. And... I must know what became of my sister."

Luke started to enter the pod, but then paused and abruptly turned. He surprised Han by crushing him into an embrace. "You've become a brother to me, Han. If I ever make it out, you can call on me for anything."

Han's throat closed at that, and he threw his pride aside and returned the hug, patting Luke on the back. "You stay strong, Kid. You've got greatness in you."

Luke pulled away, offering a final smile. "Say goodbye to Chewie for me."

And with that he entered his pod, with Han sending him out of the Falcon in it. Han stared at the voided slot for several seconds before Chewie called for him to come to the cockpit again.

Han's movements were slower than before as he maneuvered their ship to a jump point. He happened to glimpse the free-floating escape pod as he did so and for the first time in his life Han uttered a silent prayer to the Kid's hokey religion for Luke to be okay.

Without giving himself the chance to ruin the Kid's sacrifice, Han pulled the hyperspace levers, unaware that a furious Boba Fett was watching.

 **00000**

Boba hailed the Emperor as the Corellian freighter winked out of the system. "You said he was mine!"

"I am altering the deal, Bounty Hunter." Vader snarled, at the end of his patience. "And if you don't watch yourself, even your specialized ship won't save you from the wrath of _mine_."

Fett barely managed to reign in his rebuttal; well aware of the very real chance Vader would do just that. And he was right: Fett had stationed himself in a position that would allow Vader to take him out swiftly, foolishly believing that the Emperor was good for his word.

Fett would remember this day.

"You may go after him in an hour. You have, after all, been tracking his ship." Vader sneered, cutting the transmission and leaving a fuming Boba to mutter curses under his breath.

 **00000**

Luke saw the _Falcon_ leave, and he breathed a sigh of relief at the sight. But then the reality of what was coming for him settled in fully and he swallowed. Determined to hold his head high, however, Luke swallowed his fear and worked to accept that he was now headed for a very painful immediate future.

His father would send Luke to sublevel twelve as soon as they got back to Coruscant. And Luke didn't know if he could handle it. He was well within his right mind to be terrified of that underground prison and torture center.

As his pod was pulled in by the Executor's tractor beam, Luke prepared himself for the reunion with his father. Some part of him wondered if his father— the one who had once loved his son— still lived him, and if so maybe Luke could talk Vader into forgiving Luke and not hurting him.

Shmi's words of courage and her plea for him to be strong surfaced, giving Luke a needed boost. This allowed him to remain calm, and when his escape pod was opened Luke stepped out to find his path blocked by his Emperor.

"Hello Father," Luke whispered.

* * *

 **(** **A/N:** _I am heading out to Celebration Monday, so if I don't update for a while, it's cause I'm having too much fun :D See you all later!_ **)**


	27. Chapter 26

**Chapter Twenty Six:**

Luke and Vader stood staring at each other for an undetermined amount of time, the tension clear. However, Vader didn't lay a finger on Luke in view of everyone else.

No, Luke mused sadly, his father would wait until they were alone... with no witnesses... that way the Royal family would not appear broken and frayed like it truly was. Stormtroopers— who were not aware of the true situation— stood at attention as they usually would for the Royal family, but Luke ignored them.

Eventually Vader spoke up, his voice carefully controlled. "It is good to have you back where you belong, Son."

Luke met his father's gaze. "Is it?"

Vader gestured and Luke fell into step with his father as they made their way along the ship's corridors. Luke knew where Vader was taking him, and he shivered. There was a special cell that only a select few personnel knew existed on this ship: one in the same hallway as the Royal family's suite of rooms on board the _Executor._

It was a cell designed to hold specialized prisoners... like Jedi, or other Force users... or anyone who wasn't supposed to be a known prisoner. The room was a shoe box, with only a metal 'bed' and a toilet within. There were no windows, and absolutely no way to escape, and it was designed to be uncomfortable for the occupant.

A small sprinkling of the 501st followed the Emperor and Prince, but they were largely unobserved as Vader spoke again to his son. "I hope you enjoyed your time away from home."

Luke nodded once. "I... I did enjoy it. It was nice to see things from a different point of view."

Vader looked sharply at his son. "A different point of view?"

Luke glanced at his father, but then trained his gaze straight ahead, his hands clasped behind his back. "Yes, Father. It's healthy to go out into the galaxy and get a feel for the people we rule, don't you think?"

Vader narrowed his eyes. "Indeed. And what did you learn?"

"Many things," Luke said softly, realizing he was treading thin ice, but seeking to be brave as he'd determined to be on the _Falcon_. He chose to go with a rather neutral topic. "Father, we could be doing so much more to help our people..."

But his father saw through the charade, and the Sith Lord was swift to take control. "Is that what you think?" Vader cut him off. "Or are you trying to hide the fact that your loyalties have changed?"

Luke stopped so abruptly that Vader had to take a step back to be in the same place as his son. "I have given you my loyalty for years now, Father."

 _That wasn't a denial_ , Vader mused with interest.

"Indeed, except recently I am not so certain if you have," Vader said coldly. They were alone now, having reached the hallways that required certain clearances above most personnel's pay grades. And the 501st Vader trusted to keep their mouths shut and their attention where it belonged. They knew their lives were forfeit if they didn't.

Luke narrowed his eyes now. "That is not fair, Father! What have I done to..."

Vader's hand lashed out so swiftly that no one knew what had happened until after the _slap_ had sounded loudly down the hallway and Luke was left with a red mark on his face. Luke's eyes widened in shock, and the young man back-stepped when Vader closed the distance between them in order to be nose-to-nose with his child.

" _You ran off!_ " Vader snapped furiously. "And I had to traverse half the kriffing galaxy to get you back!"

Luke instinctively cringed when Vader lifted his hand again to strike his son, but instead of beating him, Vader grabbed the young man's throat in his fingers.

"You have always been weak... ever since you were a little boy. You and your misguided delusions that _I_ could _ever_ be like the filthy Jedi!" Vader growled as Luke gaped fruitlessly for air, but Vader saw the hurt there clear as day as those words struck home. "You have been a disappointment to me from the moment you told me you wanted to be a Jedi! You even faltered in your training! You constantly second guess me, and I am _done_!"

Vader lifted his son by the neck, and with a wave of his hand opened the door to the secret room. He brought Luke close, choosing to ignore the tears shimmering in Luke's eyes. "You will bow to my will, or I will break you to it. And _then_ turn you into who _I_ want you to be."

Before the young man could hide it, sheer terror flickered across his darkening face, and then Luke looked away. Vader snorted in disgust, throwing the youth into the room with no regard for his safety. Luke barely missed hitting the bed with his forehead, and he gasped in air at a heavy rate, his pallor returning.

But instead of pleading for himself, Luke surprised Vader by asking another question. "Where is Leia?"

Vader paused, looking down at his son, but not replying. That only seemed to increase his son's despair, for Luke climbed to his knees.

"Father... please!" Luke pled. "Is Leia alright?"

"You have no right to call me father any longer," Vader stated in a voice that would have frozen Mustafar. "You will call me Master from here on out."

Luke's face fell, and he shook his head. "Fath..."

With a fierce snarl, Vader's hand flew up and Luke screamed as purple lightning struck him in the chest. " _You will not call me father!_ "

Luke dropped like a stone when Vader released him and Luke frantically crawled for the door as Vader closed it. "Please! Where is Leia?!"

Vader closed the door on Luke's cries, and ignored the emotions pouring from his son within the cell as he walked away.

 **00000**

Leia sighed heavily as she _finally_ took the pilot's seat in her small craft. She had at long last received clearance from the medic overseeing her health and could now return to Coruscant. Even if it was no longer her home.

Home for Leia was wherever Luke was, and that was all she cared about in that respect. Yes Leia lived on Coruscant, but she didn't enjoy it anymore. She hadn't for a long time, if she was honest with herself. There were too many stuck up people who only cared about power and themselves.

And there were of course her parents... the cause of most of the galaxy's issues since before she could remember.

Leia glanced out her viewport to see Mon Mothma standing at a safe distance, having seen her off.

 _You know you can come to me with anything, Leia," Mon said as she and Leia paused by the entry ramp to the shuttle._

" _I know, but we will need to use caution, especially on Coruscant. My mother will no doubt be keeping a much closer eye on me after this."_

 _Mon nodded. "Yes. But we discussed information you can safely share with her, and with your father."_

 _Leia inclined her head. "I won't let you all down. I am going to do whatever it takes to beat them."_

 _Mon placed a gentle hand to Leia's shoulder. "And you have the support of Alliance High Command... and mine. Also, I hear that the Rogues have taken a liking to you as well, so I'd say that you're in good hands there."_

 _Leia couldn't help but smile warmly at the mention of the group of odd, but utterly loyal pilots who had adopted her into their eclectic family. "They're wonderful people."_

 _Leia's smile faded, and Mon tilted her head. "What is it?"_

" _I just... I wish Luke could be here too. He would love the Rogues: he'd fit right in with them." Leia closed her eyes. "I'm so afraid for him, Mon!"_

 _Mon Mothma looked down for a moment. "I am too, honestly. Your parents have changed so much from the good people they used to be."_

 _Leia met Mon's gaze at that, openly curious. "What happened to them?"_

 _Mon hesitated. "I'm not entirely certain, but I do know it had something to do with the Jedi, and your parent's relationship being revealed. But I don't have details, so you'll have to ask them, I'm afraid."_

 _Leia thinned her lips. "Somehow I don't think that information with be very forthcoming," she remarked bitterly._

Leia blinked from her reverie when Artoo bleeped softly that the ship was ready to go. Leia offered her mechanical friend and guardian a smile.

"Alright, Artoo, are you in this with me?"

 _Of course I am!_ Artoo squawked almost indignantly. _I am not about to let you do this alone! You are a_ Skywalker _after all..._ That last part was wry and humorous, and Leia tiled her head as a slightly confused smile touched her lips.

"Skywalker?" she asked softly.

 _Your true surname,_ Artoo replied with veneration. _You are no Vader, Mistress Leia. You are a Skywalker to the core; as is Master Luke._

Leia observed her droid for a long moment and then turned silently back to the controls, though the name kept making loops in her mind, though it eventually moved onto her tongue.

"Skywalker..." Leia murmured seconds before a warm feeling blossomed in her heart, followed by the image of a dark-haired older woman who was definitely not Padmé. Leia gasped softly and watched the woman smile lovingly at her and bend forward as if to kiss Leia's forehead. Despite the vision being in the Force, Leia clearly felt something caress her forehead and tears sprang to Leia's eyes.

She instantly knew who this woman was, and Leia's fingers lifted to reverently touch the place she'd been kissed.

"Grandmother..." Leia whispered on a closed throat, and the vision slowly faded away, leaving Leia staring at the black void of open space.

Artoo twittered meekly, and Leia didn't immediately glance his way, so caught up was she in the aftereffects of the moment. She'd just seen her grandmother: the matriarch of their entire family.

Something rose within the brunette, and she straightened. Leia had never felt so strongly about her identity, her heritage... nor had she felt so keen to own it.

"Skywalker," Leia said louder, this time with a growing smile. "It's a good name."

Artoo beeped his agreement and Leia nodded decisively. "Skywalker it is then, no longer Vader... except to Mother and Father."

Artoo shared in her enthusiasm and then took them into hyperspace to pick up Leia's ship and leave this current one in its secure dock for the next time they would use it.

 **00000**

Damielle knelt before the Empress, who looked upon her with open disappointment.

"You have been around my daughter for how long now, and you still have yet to uncover anything truly useful." Padmé sneered. "What good are you to me if I can't count on you to bring me what I need from my daughter?"

Damielle winced, hearing the unspoken threat: what good were her family's lives to the Empress if Damielle continued to fail?

Damielle gathered her courage and decided to lay on the penitence, hoping to get another chance. "Please, Milady. I have tried to keep up with Princess Leia, but she's too smart! She... it's like she knows I'm a spy! I do my best to bring you information, but she doesn't leave anything lying around for me to find."

Padmé narrowed her eyes, and Damielle looked down. "The few times I've tried following her, I can't keep up with her, it's... I don't know what I'm doing wrong, Milady! Please, tell me how to improve!"

Padmé didn't say anything for a long while: so long in fact that Damielle risked looking up. But the Empress seemed to be in deep thought, so the redhead waited.

Finally the Empress leaned forward. "This instance isn't your fault. I should have thought this through more clearly..."

Damielle blinked. Of all the things she'd expected to hear, that wasn't it. "I beg your pardon Milady?"

Padmé focused on Damielle further, and the handmaiden had to force herself not to squirm under the intensity of the Empress's stare. "My children have received... specialized training: schooling far beyond your capabilities. You could not hope to outsmart either of them."

Damielle took the clear insult with silence, though inwardly she was fuming at the woman's audacity. It was one thing to have pride in one's offspring, but this was too far!

Padmé continued as if there was no problem. "I have a new assignment for you. Instead of openly trying to gather intelligence on my daughter, I want you to try a new tactic. You are to become Leia's friend. Get her to lower her guard, and earn Leia's trust. Whatever it takes for you to do this I accept, but you _will_ do it."

Damielle swallowed, uneasy with this new mission. Padmé narrowed her eyes. "You don't like my task? Perhaps your sister would be a good motivation for you? I hear she has become rather sick. A few days of no food will only increase her chances of becoming... _terminally_ ill."

Damielle blanched. Her sister had indeed fallen ill _and_ had lost weight among other things, but though she was somewhat better, if she was denied food her sister's health would rapidly decline.

"I will do as you ask, Majesty." Damielle bowed low, her eyes moist.

Spying on the Princess she had been able to handle... but to use the young woman like this... it was wrong! And how could Damielle befriend the person whose mentor she'd murdered?

"You are dismissed." Padmé waved her hand, and Damielle left gladly, trying hard not to think of anything.


	28. Chapter 27

**(A/N:** _Please note that some material in this chapter may be uncomfortable for some readers._ **)**

* * *

 **Chapter Twenty Seven:**

Luke mused morbidly that if the floor was anything but solid metal, he'd have literally paced a rut into it by the time he felt the _Executor_ shudder as she left hyperspace. He was worried about his sister, and not even the guards would tell him what they knew, though Luke suspected it wasn't much.

He'd barely been fed, and only given enough water to keep him from dehydration, but Luke didn't care. All he wanted was his sister's safety.

Luke sensed a shift nearby and knew the time had come for his return to Coruscant's surface... and then to journey below it. Luke swallowed with difficulty. He had spent the last four days shifting between thoughts of Leia and what would happen to him in sublevel twelve. His imagination had run rampant with nothing else to do, and Luke was on edge by now, but he looked to his training and sought to place a calm mask upon his face.

And just in time too, for the door slid open to reveal his father.

 _No, not father... he's just master now,_ Luke mused sadly.

"Let's go," Vader ordered, and Luke walked obediently from his cell, allowing Vader to herd him to the waiting shuttle.

Luke took his seat and sat in silence while he waited for the craft to leave the Super Star Destroyer and make its way through the planet's atmosphere. Luke lifted his gaze to the viewport across from him, watching what he could of the city. He didn't know when he would see the outside again, and wanted to have a final glimpse.

Vader's eyes never left Luke, but the young man said nothing about it, simply allowing his mind to wander. He did try one last time to ask about his sister, however, and gathered his thoughts.

"Please, I must know what happened to Leia," Luke whispered pleadingly.

Vader merely raised a brow, and finally turned his gaze away. Luke swallowed a well of tears, nodding slowly and shakily. So they really were done as family then. That hurt Luke a lot more than he'd thought it would, and he tried to bury the intense pain deep within himself.

It was as he sought to do this that Luke ran across his memory of the vision of his grandmother, and his heart cracked. Shmi had said Vader loved his children still... but now Luke was fully convinced that his father didn't love _Luke_ anymore. How could he with all that he planned to do?

 _Be strong Luke..._ Shmi's voice resonated within the young man's memory.

 _Help me be strong Grandmother..._ Luke pled silently, unable to halt a single tear from falling.

"Get up." Vader snapped, and Luke realized he'd zoned out. When he came-to it was with the awareness that the shuttle was no longer moving.

With a small sigh, Luke stood, and as he walked off the ship with the Emperor, each step closer to the doors inside felt like the steps to his own funeral. Each pace became heavier, more difficult to put down until Luke was certain Vader would reach out and impatiently drag him along any second now.

When they finally achieved the inside of the building, Vader dismissed the guards and promptly grabbed Luke by the arm. His grip was like a vice, restricting and painful, but Luke didn't fight him. He was walked like a naughty school boy to a room that held a single turbolift accessible only by those who knew sublevel twelve even existed.

When Luke heard the door behind him click shut and the lock engage, his heart rate increased dramatically, and he did resist somewhat now. Vader felt his son's fear and jerked him forward, hauling a trembling Luke into the sterile white turbolift car. Once the doors hissed shut, the Emperor keyed in the destination... and Luke had to bite his lip to keep from crying.

His heart pounded with fear, but he swallowed what he could of that emotion and sought for some way to delay the inevitable. "Does Mother know I'm here?"

"She will," was the cryptic reply.

"May I see her?"

"That is her choice."

Luke realized his chit-chat was getting him nowhere and he clenched his fists. Finally the doors reopened to reveal a scary looking hallway, and it was at that point that Luke realized he had nothing to lose anymore.

"Why do you hate the Jedi so much?" he asked, looking to his captor.

"They were a lot of cowards that deserved their fate." Vader snapped.

"What did they do to you?"

"The backstabbers left your mother and me to rot in our greatest hour of need!" Vader growled, the memory of that day still enough to boil his blood. "The damned Jedi worried for _years_ that I wasn't the best Jedi I could have been, and the _one time_ I tried to trust them they stabbed me in the back!"

His tirade had only enraged the Emperor more and by now his grip on Luke's arm was leaving a painful bruise. Luke stumbled when Vader finally dragged him into a room, snapping at the droids within to strip the prisoner of all clothing while Vader held Luke immobile with the Force. Luke's face burned with each layer of his clothing the droids removed, and then Vader had Luke placed onto the rack in the center of the room.

However, before Luke was shackled, he decided to try one final card, praying his father was still in there somewhere underneath the cold Sith Lord.

"I saw Grandmother while I was away."

Vader froze, the temperature in the room cooling by several degrees. "What?"

Luke nodded, realizing he was playing with fire and would more than likely lose. But he had to try! "I had a vision of her... and she told me she's been trying to reach you. But that you've been closed off."

Vader narrowed his eyes, but otherwise did not move. "Proceed with utmost caution, or I warn you it won't end well."

"She doesn't like what you've been doing, and she..." Luke winced when Vader's had clenched in anger, but he plunged on daringly. Luke looked to his father earnestly. "Grandmother wouldn't want you to do this, Father. She would want us to be a real family, not to have you torture your son!"

Vader stepped abruptly forward and Force-shoved Luke violently into the rack, making the youth see stars. "You think that because you had a single vision of her that you know my mother? You are _wrong_! And how _dare_ you try and bring her into this!" Vader slammed Luke's head back again, and then placed the restraints on Luke's wrists and ankles himself. "You will pay dearly for this stunt! My mother would be proud of me!"

Luke was breathing raggedly, and he shook his head. "Please don't do this..."

Vader back-handed Luke, drawing blood and then glaring murder at the blond. He watched the youth hang for a time, during which Luke felt like Vader was trying to decide what to do with the young man first.

Finally Vader used the Force to trigger the nervous system in Luke's body. Luke shifted uncomfortably at first when the metal table he was on began to feel too hot, but though it was just Vader messing with his body, Luke was soon screaming as his nerves reacted as if he was lying on a white-hot metal slab.

Vader merely stood there, listening, watching as Luke convulsed upon the rack until the Emperor had had enough. He dropped his hand and Luke collapsed against his restraints, panting. The table now felt ice-cold and the sudden switch in sensation made him feel a new level of agony.

He head his father speak to the droid. "Commence with the pre-approved program."

Luke lifted his head to watch the man he'd once called father stride from the room without a second glance.

"Father..." Luke whispered brokenly just before the droid blocked his view, a strange-looking object in hand. Luke had no idea what it did, and it terrified him to know that he was about to find out.

 _Someone help me..._ Luke pled with the Force, remembering Shmi's other advice to trust it.

Then the droid stepped forward, and Luke's eyes unwillingly followed the device as it was placed to his body...

 **00000**

Across the stars, a young woman sat up straighter in her chair. The report she'd been reading lowered as a whisper of some sort seemed to touch her very core.

 _Somebody help me..._

Mara frowned, wondering who could possibly reach her in such a way. Unnerved, and even a little frightened, Mara shied away from it. She knew of the Force, yes, but had very little training in it.

Besides, she had the best training available in all other combat fields, and she was top in her class at everything. Mara prided herself in learning all the necessary skills, and while it hadn't been an easy task, but it _had_ been a worthwhile one.

So who would call to her? Was it even a call to her, or was it a general shout-out? Mara bit her lip and tried to touch the Force, but then the call seemed to vanish as if it hadn't ever been there, leaving the redhead to wonder if she'd made the whole thing up.

* * *

 **(** **A/N:** _Sorry for the delay yet again everyone, I was sick for several days last week, and as such my brainpower was minimal LOL. Here's a short chapter, enjoy_. **)**


	29. Chapter 28

**Chapter Twenty Eight:**

As Leia landed her skiff, she looked out the viewport to see both of her parents standing there expectantly. She took a steadying breath, drawing a measure of strength from the plan already formed in her mind. She had talked with Alliance High Command about a general approach, yes, but the details and overall way of doing things was up to the princess.

Leia had chosen to play up her injuries, banking also off of her father's currently bruised ego to help her sell the act of being the subservient and willing-to-please child.

Once the ship was fully on the deck, Leia turned to Artoo. "Stay out of sight until the hangar is clear, then get back to where you're supposed to be, alright?"

Artoo beeped an affirmative and Leia finished the shut-down herself to avoid suspicion. Once that was all done— she could feel her parents' impatience— Leia stood with the help of a crutch. She didn't have a broken leg, thank the Force, but she was stiff, sore and overall weary still from the accident, so the crutch was for general stability.

With slow, measured steps, Leia made her way out of the ship. When she got to the base of the landing ramp, Leia felt her parent's apprehension at her ragged appearance. Soon after, her father's anger could be felt, and Leia steeled herself for the upcoming interrogation.

"What happened to you?" Vader demanded of her as soon as the threesome had met in the middle of the hangar bay.

"And why did you lie to me about what you were doing?" Padmé added, her eyes flashing.

Ignoring her mother for the moment, Leia focused on her father, meeting his gaze with practiced humility and then lowering her gaze guiltily.

"I'm sorry Father... Mother," Leia forced out the second title. "I went on a solo mission. I... had heard of a possibility of a Rebel attack on some supplies and I wanted to help take them down." Leia carefully glanced at Vader, who was standing expectantly with arms crossed. However, at her mention of the Rebellion, his face darkened visibly.

"Why would you do that?" Vader asked disapprovingly.

Leia thinned her lips. "I wanted to prove myself to you, Father. I didn't want Luke's... _actions_ to make you think that I too was going rogue. I went because I thought if I could maybe gather intelligence, or maybe destroy some of them, I could show that I still fight for the Empire... and for _you_."

Leia glanced away, allowing moisture to build up in her eyes. "I wanted to be useful, to be myself, independent of Luke's choices. But I got injured. Somehow the Rebels caught on to me being there and my ship was hit."

Padmé narrowed suspicious eyes. "How did you get healed?"

Leia met Padmé's gaze without fear. "Someone rescued me from the wreckage."

Vader stepped forward a pace. "Who?"

Leia hesitated, biting her lip. "I... don't know who they were. They never gave me a name, and didn't let me see where I was. I do know it was a human man, and we seemed to be on some sort of ship, but I had no way to tell for sure until I left. I was given a ship to leave in, and they took off after I left the hangar bay."

Leia was doing her utmost to layer her lies with just enough truth to be undetectable to her Force-sensitive father. She _hadn't_ ever gotten the name of her medic, so that much was true, also, in reality she'd had no way to tell if she was on a ship or in a base while confined to medical. So far her tactics seemed to be working, but Leia knew she needed to stay press her advantage now. If she slipped up even a little, her parents would sense her fraudulence.

"Father, please forgive me for faking my mission, and Mother, I didn't want you to stop me. I had to do this for myself." Leia stepped forward now, letting go of her crutch with one hand and touching her father on the arm.

"Please, let me help fight the Alliance. I want to do more than just operate in the shadows." Leia asked fervently. "Let me do more, I can maybe get into their ranks somehow, or find information on them or something... _anything_ to help. Send me out. I'm not as well known as a Shadow so maybe I could do reconnaissance..."

"Enough." Vader interrupted, taking Leia by surprise when he wrapped a supportive arm around his daughter. "No more talk of this now. You need to rest and heal up. We will discuss your _possible_ involvement later."

Leia obediently fell silent, sensing that her father had accepter Leia's story. She knew he still had some doubts, but that was to be expected. "Thank you Father."

She hesitated, glancing around and noticing her brother's ship had reappeared in the hangar. Leia paused, wondering how she'd missed it initially. "Is Luke home?"

Vader glanced at the craft also, his eyes hardening. He knew that Leia would not sense her twin due to the special shield he'd had constructed around the level when it had become apparent that his son might need certain types of... persuasion. "No."

Leia frowned. "Then where'd his ship come from?"

"The Empire recovered it, and returned the vessel to where it belongs," Vader replied shortly, his tone of voice warning Leia to drop the subject.

Leia swallowed her next round of inquiries, knowing better than to step on her father's toes just then. She'd already done that, and she couldn't push the boundaries too far. "Yes Father."

 **00000**

 **A few days later**

He didn't know how long he had been in captivity: the time seemed to merge, to blend and fade in and out with his bouts of consciousness and unconsciousness. The times he _was_ aware, he was too much in pain to care what time of day it was or how long it had been since his latest torture session.

All he knew for certain was that when the door to his cell opened, it meant more pain was forthcoming. The droid brought Luke to his tiny cell after each session of torture, when Luke could handle no more despite the awakening gases the droid used whenever Luke passed out.

Thus when the door to his dark, barren room opened, he managed a slight groan. It couldn't already be time for another round, could it?

He closed his eyes, waiting for the usual harsh handling by the droid, but when nothing touched him, he frowned. Was this a new trick? Were they waiting for him to relax and then strike?

It wasn't as though he had the strength to actually do anything anyway.

He hadn't been fed, although he'd been given just enough water to stay alive, so Luke's stomach was constantly demanding food. But at this point, he was certain that just the sight or smell of food would make him sick.

His cell was also freezing cold, and Luke shivered violently when he was awake— and numb enough to the pain— to notice that detail.

"Hello Luke."

The young man froze... and finally looked up. "M-Mother?" Luke croaked.

Padmé stood in the doorway, eyeing her son with a critical look. Suddenly self-conscious despite his injuries, Luke attempted to cover his groin in some way, causing— to his chagrin— Padmé to snort with morbid humor.

"I changed and clothed you for years," Padmé remarked, coming closer. "You have nothing I haven't seen before, Luke."

 _Yes, but some privacy would be nice._ Luke thought in response to her words. _I am not three years old anymore._

His mother was at his side now. She knelt beside him and Luke waited to see what she would do. Padmé reached out a hand to his bloodied and bruised face, touching it lightly. Luke began to lean into her gentle touch, seeking some form of comfort, but Padmé pulled away.

"This doesn't have to be happening, Luke," Padmé told him, looking upon him differently now.

Luke stilled. So she wasn't here to offer a mother's sympathy after all?

"All you have to do to make this stop is say you will listen to Vader." Padmé went on, and Luke began to realize she'd not once called him son. Nor had she referred to Vader as his father.

"I can't..." Luke whispered, pulling away somewhat from her. He no longer felt safe with her, and that cracked his already broken heart.

"Why not?" Padmé asked.

"I can't become like... him." Luke looked away. "I won't become a monster."

Padmé's anger simmered and Luke winced, but did not retract his words. She straightened, and Luke sensed something within her shift. "If that is how you see him, then you would do well to fix your point of view before _he_ does it _for_ you."

A shiver of danger raced the length of Luke's spine, and he turned to gaze at Padmé through blackened eyes. "What does that mean?"

Padmé lifted her head imperiously, her eyebrow arching. "It means the Emperor has the means to... _compel_ you to see reason. He has a supply of Sith poison and is ready to use it if he must."

Luke's eyes widened as much as they could and somehow he found the strength to sit up. "No! No he can't! Please..."

"You want to stop this?" Padmé snapped furiously. "Then submit! Give yourself to your Emperor and all of this will end!"

Luke shook his head, his heart clenching painfully as tears began to fall past his control. "I don't _want_ to be a Sith!"

Padmé sneered down at him. "You would rather be a _Jedi_ , is that it?"

"I just want to be free!" Luke cried. "I don't want to be his servant anymore!"

Padmé actually chuckled, and it did nothing to ease Luke's fears. "If you're not careful, you will become much more than just his _servant_." She turned to leave. "And if you want any inkling of 'freedom' again, you will bow to your Emperor, or he will _make_ you do it."

"Mother!" Luke called desperately as she left his cell, only to have the droid come in at last.

Padmé paused just a moment and looked at him. There was absolutely no warmth in her brown gaze. "I see no son here, only a sorry excuse for a boy."

And with that she left, causing Luke to cry harder. He didn't resist for once as the droid dragged him to the same torment chamber as always. His mind was elsewhere, and as the droid proceeded with Luke, all he could think of was how he was officially orphaned... and his parents weren't even dead.

With a heavy, shattered heart, Luke watched helplessly as the droid went about its work, eliciting screams of all kinds from its victim.

 **00000**

Mara sat in a tapcaf on the overly hot planet of Tatooine. Well, maybe it wasn't as hot at night as it was during the day, but it wouldn't last. This particular establishment didn't look to be nearly as popular as some of the cantinas that dotted the larger cities with spaceports, but the food was actually rather good, and Mara was glad to have ordered something.

She'd gotten a message from someone to meet her here, and at first Mara had had misgivings, especially when she'd seen just a single name she didn't know: Nella.

But something had told Mara, quite strongly in fact, to not miss this meeting, and so she'd reluctantly come. But she wasn't at ease. She waited tensely for her contact to arrive, grumbling when, after half an hour, the mysterious 'Nella' still hadn't shown up.

Finally Mara threw her hands to the tabletop, paid for her meal and stormed from the building. As she passed an alleyway, however, something moved and Mara instantly dropped into a crouch. With the flick of her wrist, a tiny hold-out blaster dropped into her palm and Mara opened fire into the blackened space.

What she was greeted with was a shriek of something mechanical but decidedly female and a dark shape dodging the red blasts. Mara paused uncertainly, the weapon lowering just a fraction of a degree.

"Who's there?" the red head demanded.

"Don't shoot, please!" the mechanical voice pleaded. "I came to speak with you."

Mara narrowed emerald eyes to slits. "Sure you did. Do you always meet people by sneaking up on them in dark alleys at night?"

The figure before her seemed to hesitate. "I... actually don't have much field experience. Forgive me; I will remember this for next time."

Thoroughly perplexed by now, Mara rose to her feet. "Who are you?"

The other hesitated, but eventually came cautiously out of the shadows. Mara noted a black robe... but no feet. She back-stepped a half-pace, uncertain, but then stared hard into the hood. There was a pair of dimly glowing photoreceptors that she'd not been able to make our earlier.

"A _droid_?" Mara asked incredulously. "What kind of a game is this?"

The droid lowered its hood and hovered closer to Mara. "All I ask is that you hear me out."

Mara placed a hand to her hip, ready to deny the mechanic, but something stopped her. "Why should I?"

"Because I come in behalf of someone else."

The droid uncovered itself fully and despite herself, Mara was impressed at the level of craftsmanship of this droid. It looked like it had been pieced together, but only because Mara's eye was trained to find such detail. Whoever had built this thing was a mechanical genius.

"Who are you?" Mara asked again, a little softer this time.

"I am Nella," the droid replied. "And my master needs your help."

* * *

(P.S: Dear Stregian: I hear your concerns, and thank you for them; reviews like yours help me keep on target with my character development and such. Rest assured that it's all part of the plan ;) )


	30. Chapter 29

**Chapter Twenty Nine:**

Leia stared at the book in her grasp, trying and failing to get into it. She had read and re-read the same page several times now, and finally the princess admitted defeat. With a weary sigh Leia shut the volume and settled back on the bench she had occupied for a while now. Around her the peaceful garden sat. Its lush greens and vivid colors— and especially the trickling noise of the stream— were usually enough to lull her into a sense of relaxation.

But not today.

Today— and really for the last couple days— Leia had been on edge, unable to truly relax. And she didn't fully understand why. However, the more the feeling persisted, the more attention she felt she should give it, as if the Force were trying to tell her something.

If only she could puzzle it out... she had been trying to and it way always just on the very tip of her awareness.

Leia couldn't stop a niggling sense that she was _missing_ something, and it had stemmed from seeing Luke's ship. Not to mention the way her parents had been acting of late, though mostly it was her father drawing Leia's attention. The Emperor and Empress did not seem like people who were still looking for a wayward child. In fact, they seemed to be on the cusp of something else, something that was creating a newfound tension that had only ever been present whenever her parents discussed Luke and what to do with him.

Leia straightened as realization slapped her like a white-hot iron to the face. How could she have not seen it before?

 _How thick can you be Leia?!_ She berated herself as she abruptly stood.

Her father had been out and scouring the galaxy ever since Luke's vanishing act... and he'd not come home at all. So why would Vader now be home— and not worried about his missing son— if Luke weren't already recovered?

Leia sucked in a breath. That left only one place he would be... and her heart clenched with utter fear for her twin brother. She knew of the unspeakable things that her parents allowed happen in those dank, horrid corridors...

Leia thinned her lips and raked her brain, and lifted her head as an idea struck her.

She was on the move so fast she barreled right into Damielle, who was just coming to find her apparently.

"Oh, Milady!" Damielle said in a hurry as she swiftly moved to steady Leia. "I am so sorry! Forgive me; I did not see you coming!"

Leia shook her head to clear it and then waved off the apology. "Don't worry about it. Excuse me."

"Princess, if I may have a moment..."

"Not right now!" Leia called, not stopping.

Damielle tried to follow her, finally catching up just as they exited the gardens. "I wanted to ask if you'd like to have a girl's night... or something..."

Leia frowned. Was her handmaiden really asking for a night to spend with Leia? "Why would you want to spend time with me?"

Damielle's flash of hurt made Leia grimace and she paused to lay a hand on Damielle's. "Forgive me; that was insensitive. What I meant was to ask why you'd want to spend time with me when I am not all that fun to be around."

Damielle smiled shyly. "You're not as bad as people make you out to be."

Leia snorted gently. "If you say so." She considered. "Okay then set it up, but not for anytime soon. I have something to take care of."

Leia turned and continued on her way to her quarters, where she dug out her hidden spider droids, the ones Bail had given her. It was now or never, and she intended to see her brother, no matter what she discovered when she did.

 **00000**

"No." Mara shook her head. "I'm sorry... but no."

Nella had just finished outlining her plan, and Mara was doing her best not to laugh at the absurdity of it all. The droid seemed innocent, which baffled Mara, but she suspected it was newly built, which would fit the droid's current disposition.

Nella surged forward on her repulsors. "Please, Miss Jade! Master Luke needs your help..."

Mara thinned her lips. "Do you have any idea how impossible it is to get anywhere _near_ Coruscant without detection? Never mind sneaking into a supposedly top-secret base that only the Royal Elite even know exist."

"I thought you were the best?" Nella challenged, and Mara could tell the droid was desperate.

Mara glared. "Stroking my ego won't work," she retorted icily. "File _that_ away for next time too."

Nella let out the droid equivalent of a sigh, her head lowering somewhat. "Very well, I shall have to do this alone then. Goodbye Mara Jade."

Mara watched as the droid recovered her cloak and left the alley without so much as a sound, and within moments the droid had vanished. Despite herself, Mara blinked, wondering if the droid just _might_ pull off its crazy scheme after all, especially if it could give _Mara_ the slip.

With a dismissive wave, Mara turned and retreated to her own ship, gladly leaving the sand behind.

However, as she climbed for space, Mara couldn't help but notice that something was urging her to reconsider. Mara thinned her lips in annoyance, wondering what was so special about this Luke character anyway.

Who cared if he was the prince? What happened to him wasn't her concern.

Then why did it feel as if she was letting him down?

Her pride flaring up, Mara pushed away any guilt and proceeded to input the coordinates to her destination. She had a delivery to make.

 **00000**

Leia took a deep breath and knocked on her father's office door, waiting permission to enter. She knew he would sense her and indeed she felt his light touch before the door opened; her signal to enter.

Leia did so with a practiced air of humility. She had to act the part of the concerned sister and yet obedient daughter. All thoughts of her intent to sabotage and spy were locked securely away behind her most private shields. She allowed concerns for her twin to flicker at the surface of her mind to distract Vader from her double-purpose.

"Father," Leia bowed her head to him. "Thank you for seeing me."

"What do you need?" Vader asked as he briefly glanced up from a datapad.

Leia hesitated slightly, not having to fake her nerves this time. Gathering her courage, Leia stepped closer.

"Father, I know Luke is here." She began, watching as his gaze snapped to hers again. The intensity of his stare made her swallow. "No one told me. I figured it out. You've been gone the entire length of Luke's absence, only returning now. You have Luke, and I know where you're keeping him."

Vader sat in stony silence for several long, frightening minutes, during which Leia had no way to read him. He was immovable, his gaze not leaving her, but his expression inscrutable. Leia knew she was treading thin ice, but she was doing it for Luke.

At last Vader settled back into his chair. "Yes, I have Luke. He is no longer a free person, and I will hold him until he obeys me."

Leia hated that she thought she knew what that meant. She stepped forward again, lifting her hands slightly. "Father, please... let me see him."

Vader was already shaking his head. "Absolutely not."

Leia continued, trying to get her full argument out before he dismissed her from the room. "Let me talk to him!"

"His seeing you will do nothing to aid me in gaining his obedience!" Vader growled. "Right now it would be a reward to him. I will not allow it."

"But he's _always_ listened to me!" Leia cried. "Maybe he will again. I can talk to him; try to get him to see reason."

Vader gave her a harsh look. "You try my patience, Daughter."

Leia shook her head. "Father, let me help! Luke will listen to me, I'm sure he will. Please, let me try. Just _one_ time..." Leia allowed a sliver of her desperation to see and help her twin bleed into her tone at the very end.

Vader ground his teeth, but Leia could see her logic was getting through to him, even if he didn't like it.

"Very well. _One_ time. If he does not listen to _you_ as you claim, then truly he is lost." Vader returned to his datapad. "Proceed."

Leia wilted with relief. "Thank you Father."

 **00000**

As the stars became mottled lines, Nella settled into the droid niche built into the small ship she'd managed to get her hands on, something that had been about to be scrapped by its previous owner. He'd been drunk, and so getting him to simply give it up for free had been relatively easy.

And the vessel would work for what she wanted it to do for her: be inconspicuous and look like the hunk of junk it was. It was a tiny thing: large enough for only two people, a pair of bunks and one refresher.

This ship wouldn't draw attention, as people would be too busy dismissing it for its appearance to care much for what was inside. All she hoped was that the bad engine mount held long enough for Nella to complete her mission.

She had already failed at part of it; she would not mess up the rest of it.

 **00000**

He was alone. He was unwanted, and his only value was his immense power in the Force. He had taken several days— he assumed it was that long, because he really had no way to tell time— to mourn his newfound orphanage, and then accept that his parents had disowned and hated him now... and that his sister was most likely dead.

What else was he to believe? His last sense of her had been of Leia in pain, and then she'd disappeared, and he hadn't sensed her since then.

Luke's spirit was trying to tell him she wasn't dead, but then what had happened to her?

Luke's pained gaze travelled his dark prison, his pain a constant companion. His mind wandered without true direction, but in his being something had hardened irreversibly. With the acceptance— something that had been hard to come by because he'd loved his mother and father despite everything— of his being cut off from his family and their turning on him as they had, Luke's heart had grown a layer of diamond-hard armor.

He wasn't beyond feeling, he was just more seasoned, and he'd built the wall around his heart to protect it from further hurt. They could do whatever they wanted with him... he would _not_ turn to the Dark Side.

And if his parents really did give him the serum— the only thing Luke truly feared anymore— he would still find a way to end things. If he had to die to stay who he was, then he was prepared to do just that. Better to die than become a slave to his Dark parents.

He didn't know where Nella was, if she'd tried to fulfill her mission and failed or of she was still on her way. But he chose to trust in her. She was still a newborn as far as droids went, but she would not let him down, he was certain of it.

Luke would get out, and he would learn the ways of the Force to further his skills in the Light, and then he would fight to remove his tyrannical Emperor and Empress.

He was done being afraid of his parents, and of their cruelty. He would find a way... somehow.

 **00000**

A lead lump had begun forming in Leia's gut once she had left her father's office and proceeded to the turbolift access for sublevel twelve. Now, as the doors closed and sealed her inside the sterile-white lift car, the ball became a rock, settling sickeningly into her stomach.

Leia subtly reached into her hidden pocket and activated the tiny droids she's brought along. All but one. She would need the final droid to record Luke's condition as it was. Another droid would find the video feed of all that had transpired in past days.

At some point in the ride down a shiver ran through Leia and she was suddenly aware of the despair, pain and loneliness that soaked this place. Leia staggered, steadying herself on the wall with one hand.

The doors opened and the darkened hall greeted her, as did one dark-armored stormtrooper. Leia used the position she was in to appear normal, since her hand was still near her pocket.

"Princess," he acknowledged, seemingly understanding her plight. "This way please."

Leia nodded and as soon as his back was turned, she released her minions, able to see them for only three seconds before they vanished into the murky halls to perform their tasks. Leia paused before one open doorway, eyeing what appeared to be fresh blood on the floor, walls and the metal slab that occupied the center of the space.

And she was hit with the sense of the young man who'd been inside day after day...

Sickened, Leia resolutely turned away when the stormtrooper gently touched her elbow to get her attention.

"He's in there, Miss." The man gestured to a door several meters down the hallway, and Leia could only nod, unable to ignore the constant ebb and flow of her brother's agony. But underneath all of that pain was something that had never been there before.

The door grew closer and closer, and Leia grew more on edge until the door at last opened.

"Wait outside," Leia ordered, and the trooper nodded. Leia stepped inside and the door closed at her back.

Since it was darker in here than in the halls, she had to wait several moments for her eyesight to adjust. But she heard the rustling of something moving on the floor, and then the sharp, rattling intake of breath.

"L-Leia?" Luke's weak voice crackled up at her from one corner.

Leia gave up trying to see in the gloom and activated her glowlamp, wondering why she hadn't done so from the start. Luke winced as the too-bright light stabbed at his eyes, and Leia cringed when his new pain reached her.

"Sorry..." she whispered right before her voice failed her. Her light had finally illuminated her brother, and Leia's horror mounted until she could contain it no longer. " _Luke!_ "

Barely managing to hold onto the light, Leia surged forward to collapse to her knees at Luke's side. Tears were already falling and she moved as if to caress his cheek with shaking hands but stopped in alarm when she saw the state of his skin.

It was sallow, bruised, bloody and dry. He was naked, but she ignored this, though she did remove her vest to lay over his groin for his own comfort. Leia wept hot tears as she looked over her broken, bloodied brother, who had clearly been starved along with the torture.

"L-Leia..." Luke rasped. His own face was wet when she focused on it again, and her twin was looking at her as though he'd just seen an angel. His hand weakly lifted, and with frozen fingers Luke felt her face. "You're alive..."

Frowning, Leia grasped his faltering hand in her own. "Of course I am. Why would you think otherwise?"

Luke closed his eyes. "...felt you get... hurt. Then gone... in the Force."

Leia suddenly felt much more wretched for putting her brother through that. Of course he'd have felt her accident... he was her _twin_. But he should have felt her again when she recovered... so why would he think the worst? Unless... "Father didn't tell you I was fine?"

Luke started to shake his head before he stopped with a grimace of pain and opted for a look that both angered and alarmed her.

"He didn't." Leia was growing angry herself. "Why not?"

Then she recalled her conversation with Vader when she'd asked for permission to see her brother. She hadn't paid much attention to his words then, so anxious had she been to simply win the argument.

Leia wiped at her face and sniffled, eyeing her brother for a moment. Finally she simply lay down next to him, keeping a respectful distance with his mostly-nude state, but close enough to offer comfort.

"I'm so sorry they've done this to you, Luke," Leia murmured, watching as he simply gazed at her. His tears had stopped, she noted, and he didn't seem sad anymore that he was a prisoner of his own family.

"I cannot... change what's... happened," Luke replied without emotion, and Leia's concern grew. His indifference reminding her of the other mission at hand, Leia released the final spider-droid to do its job.

Luke saw this and lifted his brows. "What are... those for?"

Leia glanced around and then used the Force to verify there were no other recording devices before she spoke. "You are not the only one who's had enough. I've joined the Rebel Alliance."

Luke's eyes widened and concern for her flickered in his blue eyes. "What? When?"

"While you were gone, things happened..." Leia looked away.

"Bail..." Luke whispered knowingly, and she felt his hand to her cheek in a brotherly caress again. "I'm so sorry."

Leia accepted his offered comfort. "He wasn't the only reason, just the final straw. I'm done. But I'm not swapping sides as openly as you," she added wryly, to which Luke actually smirked. "I'm playing a double agent. I'll be feeding information to both sides, though I'll be helping the Alliance in person whenever I can. I'll slot time in when I go on missions. I'll figure the details out as I go, but for now let's just leave it at that."

Luke eyed her, and she half expected to see him preparing to reproach her for being reckless. But he surprised her yet again: all she saw there was pride and support. Of course he was worried for her safety as she was for his, but he knew she could handle herself.

But she could also see that Luke's strength was fast waning, because he was now fighting to remain awake. "Please be careful... Leia. I love... you," Luke breathed, shaking his head awkwardly as his eyes slid closed against his will.

He managed to open them again and he gestured her closer. Leia frowned and scooted nearer. "Help N-Nella..."

Leia frowned, confused, and spoke in the same quiet tone. "Who's Nella?"

But he was already unconscious, and as she watched his body going limp, Leia could only weep more for her brother. _And_ ponder on the new sense about him. He was different. More... mature, seasoned.

More hardened.

Sure he still had soft spots, but he was no longer one to be walked all over. How she knew this for certain she could only guess at, but she knew it to her core. Luke would be a formidable man if— _when Leia, not if_ — he ever got away from their oppressive parents.

Leia thinned her lips and decided to do her brother a kindness while she was here. Knocking on the door, she ordered a bowl of warm water, soap, a rag and towel. The guard was hesitant, but Leia out-ranked him so he obeyed.

Soon after the door was locked again and Leia proceeded to tenderly bathe her brother, though she was mindful of his overall privacy as much as she could be in the process.

While she worked, Leia pondered on the Nella character Luke had asked her to assist. Was it a friend he'd met in his sojourns? Or a girlfriend perhaps?

Leia paused at that, uncertain how she felt about her brother having a girlfriend and her not having a boyfriend. But she brushed it off as an immature way to think. Besides, she had no proof he had a girl friend, and he didn't act like he had any romantic ties to anyone.

 _Right, Leia, you know that from the fifteen minutes you've had with him..._ she chided herself sardonically.

Pushing romance from her mind, Leia finished the bath and started to carefully towel dry her twin.

When she put her hands to Luke's hair, a flash of a vision came to Leia, and she gasped, startled. It wasn't much more than a face and a feeling, but it was enough to cause Leia to drop the towel.

She put a hand to her head as the image of a flame-haired, green-eyed young woman faded, though the vivid quality of the image stuck with her and Leia was left to puzzle out the strange occurrence.


	31. Chapter 30

**Chapter Thirty:**

A small figure waited at a safe distance away from the Imperial Palace, photoreceptors trained on the hangar bay used by the Royal family alone. After two days doing recon and preparing for this day, Nella was ready to infiltrate and get her master out. She'd used her stealth technology and codes given to her by her master to get the Emperor and Empress' schedule, and thanked her lucky stars that they were going to be off-world.

She almost couldn't believe her luck!

Nella had the ship parked in a ratty old hangar bay halfway across town, and she planned to take another craft designated by Luke when he'd given her the mission parameters. She would secure their escape vehicle first, and then go for the man himself.

But not until the Royal duo was well away.

 **00000**

"Your Mother and I will be gone for three days time," Vader said to Leia as he waited for his wife's luggage to be loaded onto the ship. "During which no one is to go near Luke."

His hard gaze warned Leia against trying anything, and she nodded compliantly. She'd done what she needed to anyway. "I understand. Where are you going again?"

"We will be taking time for just us," Vader answered. "And I chose Garqi as our vacation destination."

Vader caught Padmé around the waist as she finally joined them during his reply, leaning her down and giving the woman a smoldering kiss. Leia tried not to make a face at their sappy romantic ways, not at all interested in her parents' love-life.

Her parents finally pulled away and Leia managed to smile. "Have a good time then. I'm going to take this time to catch up on my political reading and work on my candidacy for the Senate."

"A very good idea," Padmé responded. "Make sure you take Damielle with you. I think she would be a good asset for you."

Leia had noted the other young woman was making more of an effort to befriend the princess of late. Their girls-night had actually been rather fun, but Leia was left to wonder just what the other was up to, especially since she'd been a 'gift' from the Empress.

"I will, Mother," Leia responded quietly, not wanting to get into an argument right then.

A trooper appeared, bowing low. "Your Majesties, your ship is ready to go. The security detail is in place, and the luggage is secured as ordered."

"Very good, Captain," Vader said crisply, taking Padmé's hand. "We leave at once."

"Yes, Sire." The trooper bowed again and led the way.

Leia watched her parents leave, and for some reason a sense of... premonition shivered up her spine, making Leia rub her arms surreptitiously. She also left her parents' suite and wandered down the hall to a nearby balcony where she could watch her parent's departure.

As she waited, Leia wondered where her mother and father were _really_ going, and if it had anything to do with her brother. Sure they'd probably go to Garqi, but something more was happening, of that Leia was certain.

But what?

One thing Leia knew for certain: she was being tested by her parents. Leia would have to avoid trying to see Luke while they were gone. That did give her plenty of time to start securing her place as a double agent, however, and she planned to put that time to good use.

With an air of deviousness, Leia waited for her parents' departure from Coruscant.

 **00000**

"You are a sly man when you want to be," Padmé teased once they were on board their ship. "Telling Leia only enough to slate her curiosity."

Vader gave her a look. "I don't want Leia to get any... _ideas_ while we are away."

Padmé smirked. "Indeed. She does seem to be genuinely concerned about your opinion of her, especially with Luke's fiasco."

Vader nodded. "Yes, and this is a chance for her to prove herself; to _really_ confirm her loyalty."

Padmé's smirk widened into a smile. "I agree."

Vader returned the grin and kissed his wife again as their craft lifted off. He had the serum for Luke, but would need it formulated differently so it could be administered to the boy properly. And as for his sister, well, the less Leia knew, the less likely she was to go off the deep end like her twin.

He felt the ship shudder at some point in his musings as it left the atmosphere and made for the jump point.

The pair of Vaders really was going to Garqi, but only after they had visited the lab to drop of the serum. They would pick it up on their way home and then Luke would be Vader's, utterly and completely.

As the ship tugged with the jump to lightspeed, Vader's being swelled with anticipation: oh the things he could do with his powerful, fully Sith son at his side! He passed the time imagining up new scenarios, each with Luke completely under Vader's thumb but being willing and loyal to Vader and only Vader.

Well, and Padmé.

Speaking of...

Vader turned to his wife, who was reading, and ran a suggestive finger up her arm, leaning in close. "What do you say to some _alone-time_ in our bedroom on the way there?"

Padmé smiled, putting her datapad aside. "I'd say you've got the right idea."

Vader grinned and leapt to his feet, sweeping Padmé into his arms. They made for their suite and left explicit orders not to be disturbed before the doors shut.

 **00000**

For good measure, Nella waited until that evening before she infiltrated the palace. Since no one had seen her here before, and her build was starkly different from anything ever seen here— or so she had been told— Nella kept to the shadows, having tinted her body a darker shade so she wouldn't be easily seen _or_ immediately recognized afterwards.

She had her photoreceptors tuned to the lowest light setting so they wouldn't give her away, and so she floated along silently on her repulsors; a shadow among shadows.

Nella came to the droid access of the special hangar Master Luke had told her of, and entered with little trouble thanks to his codes. Once inside Nella paused, looking around at the vast array of vessels in the massive space.

There were speeders, skiffs, and fighter ships of many different kinds, larger ships like freighters or personal yachts, and even a pod racer or two. All the ships were either in some form of repair or modification or were fully operational and just not used.

Nella managed a soft, electronic whistle, able to appreciate the sight before her. Then she got busy searching out the ship Master Luke had told her to find and prep.

Nella slowly moved about the room, not knowing where to find said ship, as Master Luke had forgotten to give her those specifics. Nella was unaware that her presence was noted and that she was being followed.

That is, until she came around a fighter and a bright light illuminated her form. An accusing screech of binary code assaulted Nella as she fought to focus in the sudden lighting change.

Nella instantly went into defensive mode, however, when her sensors flared to life. She powered up one of her arm cannons and leapt aside when a burst of electricity jolted past where she'd just been. Nella aimed and fired at the astromech droid, who screamed again and managed to barely dodge her shot.

Nella came out of hiding and zipped up to the blue and silver astromech, who spun his dome to take in her weapon now held to his 'face'.

A moment of tense silence ensued before Nella heard a softer warble emit from the other droid, and she looked to his designation plate. Artoo Detoo. Master Luke had mentioned this droid, but he hadn't said he would _attack_ Nella!

 _Who are you and what are you doing here?_ Artoo asked Nella.

"I am here on a mission," Nella said cryptically.

Artoo turned his photoreceptor to the side just enough to give the air of one narrowing their eyes. _Right. And Threepio doesn't talk much._

Nella had no idea who this Threepio was, but nor did she care.

For his part, Artoo was stunned at the droid before him. She was... well, beautiful! He'd never seen such a droid before: she was clearly a custom build, and she was amazing! Her spunk, spirit and seemingly fiery attitude warmed Artoo's circuits.

But she was still trespassing.

Artoo paused at that. How had she even gotten _in_ here? This hangar wasn't accessible unless one had a code, and only the Royals and their closest guards had those.

Nella sighed and put her weapon away as she recalled Master Luke's encouragement to trust Artoo. She would listen to her Master, because he knew what was best.

"Artoo, I need your help. I am here to get Master Luke to safety, but I need a certain ship he told me to use for escape."

Artoo whipped his dome about in surprise. _Master Luke? How do I know you're telling the truth?_

Nella paused, wondering how she would indeed prove her intentions. Then she had an idea. "Are we alone? No one will hear or see if I replay something?"

 _You're safe,_ Artoo assured her.

Nella nodded, leaned forward and replayed a section of her memory from when Master Luke had given her instructions.

" _...and when you get to the hangar, if you need help find Artoo-Detoo. He's one of my best friends. He'll take good care of you if you tell him why you're there." Luke paused. "I trust that little droid with my life, as I do you."_

Artoo let out a soft, sad whistle that Nella didn't quite understand. "Why are you sad?"

Artoo shook his domed head. _Master Luke has always been so kind to me. I am upset at how his parents are treating him. What's worse is that I can do nothing to get him out..._

Nella thought about that, then, "That's not true. You can help me get the _Armistice_ ready to go."

Artoo leaned back. _The_ Armistice _?_

"That's the one he wanted."

Artoo thought about it. _Okay. I would do anything for him. This way._

Nella followed Artoo to the back of the hangar, where a tiny ship that looked fast and sleek rested. It was a shiny black and looked no larger than a TIE fighter, but Nella wasn't certain that she could fly it.

"Can you show me the controls?" Nella asked of her companion.

Artoo twittered a yes, and the pair entered the small vessel, where Artoo ran her through the diagnostics, which took little time because of how fast droids could input data. Artoo rather enjoyed the moment with Nella, and he hoped to see her again after her rescue of Master Luke, but Artoo would not leave Leia. She needed him, and he'd promised to be there for her.

As the two left the ship, Artoo turned to his new friend. _I will have it ready to go by the time you get back._

Nella dipped her head. "Thank you Artoo. You've been very kind."

 _You are helping Master Luke,_ Artoo replied. _That is reason enough for me._

"He is lucky to have a friend in you," Nella murmured.

As she moved for the palace entrance from the hangar, Artoo followed. _How will you get to him, let alone carry him?_

Nella looked to him. "Is it safe to tell you in case they interrogate you?"

Artoo considered that. _Not really. Good luck. And please be careful, with him... and yourself. Take the southern corridors; they're far less travelled, especially at night._

Nella took note of that. "I'll do that. Thank you Artoo. See you soon."

Artoo watched her leave, a sad sort of wistfulness filling his circuits. Then he straightened and made his way to the nearest computer terminal. He could help her get around more, and he planned to do just that.

With a few tweaks to security, Artoo altered the camera angles subtly so that Nella would have a lower chance of being spotted. He also opened a few doors that would aid in her travel and then disconnected before he was detected.

Nella would have to do the rest on her own.

 **00000**

Leia sat before her chosen computer terminal, one hidden deep within Imperial Archives, and one that was scarcely passed by, which made it a good choice for her work. She was already deep within the system, seeking out anything she could give to the Rebels without sending up red flags all over the Imperial network.

So far she had a few things, but Leia felt like she was waiting for something more, something big... but what? And would she find it today?

Also, there was something in the back of her mind that was keeping her somewhat distracted. But try as she might, Leia couldn't pinpoint the source of her discomfort. She thought it could have to do with her parent's real intentions for their trip, but she had no proof.

Not wanting to think about her mother and father, Leia shoved them far from her mind and got back to work.

 **00000**

Mara sat tensely at the controls of the _Jade's Fire_ as it hurtled through hyperspace... but this time toward Coruscant.

Most of the way back to Karrde's headquarters, Mara had finally had to give in to the constant nagging from what could only be the Force. Her gut hadn't stopped feeling like a lead ball since she'd denied help to that Nella droid, and Mara couldn't take it any longer.

She didn't know why this one man was so important, but she couldn't deny that she needed to help him. Why it had to be _her_ she hadn't a clue, but she was pushing her ship for all it was worth, heart pounding strangely as it never did while she watched the timer anxiously.

Would she make it in time?

Mara was disgusted with how nervous she was, but she was an expert pilot, and had no doubts she could and would make a difference. Somehow.

If she could get there in time.


	32. Chapter 31

**Chapter Thirty-One:**

 **Coruscant**

Luke was doing his absolute best to remain as lucid as possible, but with all the drugs the torture droid had been pumping through his system of late, that was becoming harder and harder to do. Still, there was something in his gut telling him that the rescue he'd set up for himself was nigh at hand.

Luke wanted to be somewhat helpful during it, but he wasn't certain that would happen with the way the droid was messing with him today.

Another round of torture devices had arrived, and the droid was testing them out on Luke's already ravaged body. Luke's only bright spot was that he was actually starting to become numb to the pain.

...the prick of a needle came to his arm...

Well, he wasn't certain if it was _truly_ a good thing or not, but then again, his mind was hardly clear anymore...

Luke shook his head, frowning in confusion as the latest drug settled in. Hadn't he thinking of something important just a moment ago?

... _the grey walls are extra shiny today..._ Luke mused with a slaphappy tinge to his thoughts.

 _...I wonder what they gave me this time..._

 **00000**

Nella was surprised by how easy it was to get through the halls undetected, and she had to wonder if Artoo hadn't done something more to help. She was grateful either way, but chose to focus on her mission.

Once outside the door to the room that housed the turbolift to sublevel twelve, Nella retrieved her hidden robe from a compartment on her chest. She donned it and then floated along at what was average human height.

With an ease born from her programming and training via Master Luke, Nella input the code into the keypad to the lift and was gratified to watch it open for her. Nella entered and selected the button that would take her below, and waited in anticipation for the lift to stop.

She didn't quite know what to expect once she was in sublevel twelve, but she knew to be cautious. If she could have, Nella would have taken a deep breath once the lift came to a rest at the end of the lift tube.

The door took a second to open, adding to the ominous feel of the place, and then it slid silently open to reveal the most depressing sight Nella's photoreceptors had seen so far. Nothing but gloomy, frightening corridors greeted her, with doors that did nothing to ease anyone walking their lengths.

Nella remained rooted in place for long seconds, and was roused back to the moment at hand when a green-armored face appeared around the door to the turbolift.

"You going to stand in there all day or come out?" the stormtrooper asked mildly, eyeing the robed figure suspiciously.

Nella made a noise that was similar to a man clearing his throat and pitched her voice lower than usual. "I was just taking my time."

"Sure you were," the other replied. "And you are?"

Nella thought fast, and then went for the intimidation approach, hoping it worked. "That's none of your business."

The trooper raised his weapon somewhat. "It is if you're down here Bud. Name."

Nella moved closer. "Do you think that if I wasn't supposed to be here I would have gained access to this turbolift? One we both know to be highly restricted?"

The man seemed to take that in, and Nella realized that even if he agreed now, he could rat her out before she even got _close_ to Master Luke. With an electronic sigh, Nella lifted an arm and shot him with stun rings, dropping him like a stone and then carrying him out of immediate view.

Nella was just grateful there weren't any cameras down here. Luke had said the Emperor hadn't wanted any chances of footage getting leaked, and so once she was inside sublevel twelve, she'd be free from being caught on camera.

Nella straightened her robe and began a thorough search of the vast space for her master, missing the burst of code that emitted from the compromised security man's armor.

 **00000**

 **Somewhere in space**

It was the dead of night onboard, and so no one noticed when a lone, ancient fighter left the hangar bay of _Home One_ and jumped into dead space. The pilot reminisced momentarily of his younger days, when Anakin had flown at his side, teasing his master on how he needed to loosen up in the cockpit.

Obi Wan, now General Hurst, smiled sadly, wishing not for the first time he'd been able to help his brother and best friend in his hour of need. Instead, things had happened when Obi Wan hadn't been there.

No, he'd been on Utapau, dealing with General Grievous. It had taken some time for the Jedi Master to realize that had all been a ploy by the late Sheeve Palpatine to get Obi Wan away from Anakin, thus isolating the conflicted younger man and making it easier for him to be picked off.

Obi Wan shook out of his reverie when his droid companion, R5-H1 tootled curiously. "Yes, R5 I was just about to open communications. Please begin the security measures Years-Old-Day-Aged."

R5 whistled again and Obi Wan waited for the green light that the line was utterly secure from any eavesdroppers before he signaled the only person it went to. Courtesy of Maz Kanata, Obi Wan had managed to convince the aged Yoda to allow a single line of communication for emergency purposes.

It took a little while as it always did, but eventually a gravelly voice spoke through Yoda's end. "A long time it has been, Obi Wan."

"Master Yoda." Obi Wan smiled gently. "It's good to hear your voice."

"Hmm. Sentimentality, you have not called for." Yoda reminded the human.

"No." Obi Wan agreed, recalling his business. "I need to talk to you about the twins."

A sigh sounded from Yoda, and Obi Wan could imagine the tiny man shaking his head sadly. "A horrible lot for Young Luke, this has been, but hardened him I feel it has."

Obi Wan frowned. "By being hurt by his father?"

"No: by seeing what his father and mother truly are. Grown up, Luke has, Obi Wan. Watched him a long time I have. Soft he was before, yes, but now, ready for training and life of a Jedi, he will be."

Obi Wan thinned his lips. "There had to be another way Vader could have handled his son."

"There is," Yoda said gravely. "A Sith Vader is, and many ways to force one to his will, Vader has."

Obi Wan's heart clenched. "You don't really think he'd use hssiss poison on his own child, do you?" But the words were flat and hopeless even to Obi Wan's ears. If Vader would torture his own son for running off for a bit then he'd most certainly poison his child into a Sith.

"Gone, Anakin is, Obi Wan." Yoda reprimanded mildly. "Cling to the past you still do, and hamper you it does."

Obi Wan sighed, fingering his beard in his usual manner. "So what do we do? How do we get Luke out?"

"Not sure, am I. But careful planning this will need," Yoda replied.

"You are still planning to train Luke, aren't you?" Obi Wan asked.

"Yes, if wants it, he does," Yoda answered.

"And what of Leia? She joined the Rebellion as a double agent, and will be working from both fronts."

Yoda gave a hum of surprise at that. "A fiery one, she is." Silence fell, during which Obi Wan knew the other was thinking. Then, "train her too, we should. Teach Leia you will. Luke, I will train."

Obi Wan nodded. "I will ask her if that's something she wants. And I will think of something to get Luke out. I swear it. Luke will not become a Sith against his will."

Yoda made an odd noise as a curious ripple touched the Force, with both Jedi feeling it. "Indeed. Careful we must be. Goodbye, Obi Wan." And with that Yoda ended the transmission.

Obi Wan remained in empty space for some time afterward, trying to decipher the touch on the Force he'd felt. But nothing he tried garnered results, and so he gave up trying. Turning the ship back toward Home One, Obi Wan jumped a few times per the usual precautions and then rejoined the mother ship.

 **00000**

 **Coruscant**

Nella knew time was starting to work against her, and the more she searched without success, the more concerned she grew that she wouldn't find her master. Had the Empire known she was coming after all and moved him? Had they gotten inside Master Luke's head and figured out his secrets? Nella hesitated, but out of loyalty to Luke, kept going.

Nella had reached a room near the very back of the level, and finally her hearing picked up the sounds of an 'interrogation' as the Empire liked to call it. A heat reading picked up one life form in a room, and a cold one that was still moving.

A droid, Nella realized.

She had to wonder at the minimal security down here: aside from the single trooper, Nella hadn't run into anyone. She supposed that the turbolift was secure enough, and the man was just an added line of defense.

But... maybe there was hidden security she wasn't aware of yet? Something designed for only _after_ a prisoner tried to break out?

Nella shook her head and forced herself to focus, remembering Master Luke's advice on distractions on the mission. They hindered, not helped, and in the long run did more damage than good. Try to anticipate what you could, and just go along with the rest as it came up.

Nella approached the closed door with caution, using her enhanced software to monitor what was going on inside. She could see the droid's movements, and knew when it had its back turned. Nella waited for the droid to turn away from her before she entered the room, weapon arm raised and already shooting... but the torture droid had obviously been retrofitted with sensors of its own, because it jumped out of the way.

Nella tracked him, aiming for the face and scoring a hit on its shoulder when it dodged a second time. Nella shrieked when a piece of equipment sailed her way via the other, larger droid's arms. She managed to get out of the path of imminent danger, only to see the other droid leaping up and over the table Master Luke was strapped to.

Nella growled low in her proverbial throat and took precise aim... and shot its face clean off when the droid was mere inches from her. Just to be sure, when it fell, she continued to shoot it to make sure the droid was really out.

Only when she was satisfied by how blackened and smoking it was did Nella stop. She realized her robe had slipped off but left it for the time being. She hurried up to Luke, who was only semi-aware, and his eyes seemed to refuse to focus properly for any lasting length of time.

Nella wasn't an expert on biology, but even she knew he was in immediate need of medical help. Help she couldn't give.

Nella shoved aside her worry for her master, withdrew a special device he'd given her to use and strapped it around her master's waist. With a careful set-up and calibration to her own sensors, Nella activated the device and watched with satisfaction as her master's body began to levitate via the repulsor field now bolstering his form.

Nella unstrapped him now that she knew he wouldn't simply fall to the floor, and with a silent command to the device on Luke, she hovered him to the door. Before exiting Nella donned her robe once more and then made a hasty exit.

She never noticed the hidden doors opening and admitting three black, silent shapes; so caught up in the escape was she.

But once she entered the main corridor and made a swift bee-line for the turbolift, Nella's sensors went haywire with warnings. She stopped instantly and spun around to cover her Master Luke as blasterfire ripped through the air where she'd been.

Nella saw they were next to an open doorway and shoved Luke into it to protect him as she went into battle mode. Both arms on her body morphed into the weapons Luke had implanted there, and with the calculated precision only found in an assassin, Nella went to work eliminating the opponent.

Her photoreceptors picked up three remodeled super battle droids and knew she had her work cut out for her. One was standing before her and pouring down suppression fire while his two companions tried to flank her.

Nella dipped into the open doorway and leaned back out to return fire as she thought of a way out of this.

She happened to look up at one point in the firefight, as she dipped back inside her hiding spot, and if she could have, she'd have grinned. Nella leaned out once more to throw a hailstorm of blaster bolts at her opponent and then dipped back in while he was recovering.

She dropped the robe; zipped up to the ventilation grate above and entered, making sure to close it behind her to avoid the others knowing where she went. Silently she hovered through the vents, using her special vision to see the droid standing in the hallway. It had stopped firing, and was cautiously advancing on her position, thinking she'd given up.

Nella let it pass her position, watching from a grate above the main hallway, and once the batteldroid was above her Nella dropped a miniature grenade onto its back. The device instantly magnetized to the droid's metallic body and within seconds— during which Nella was moving in the opposite direction as swiftly as possible— it exploded into fiery bits.

Nella silently cheered and then had to slam on the breaks when blasterfire ripped into the vent where she was, and she exited the shaft through the next available grate. Swapping blasters from the regular strength to the black-market version Master Luke had rigged up for her, Nella opened fire instantly on her opponent as it was still focused upward.

Nella got in a few good shots, leaving gaping holes in its armor, before it took aim at her and Nella spun one-hundred-eighty degrees in one direction. As she came back around she shot at its glowing chest receptor, the concentrated blast doing far more damage than any regular blaster would have.

The droid went down with a metallic groan before Nella shot it again and watched it burst into flame, emitting acrid smoke that billowed around the space.

Nella realized she'd left Master Luke alone too long in the same moment she realized she'd lost the position of the final droid.

Moving as fast as she could, Nella raced back for the room she'd left her master in. When she got to the doorway, a shot from the final droid— who had taken up a position near the prisoner— caught Nella in the lower abdomen.

Nella shrieked and spun out of control, hitting the far wall and sliding to the floor. She waited precious seconds for her servos to reorient— ignoring the small shower of sparks that shot out from the injury— and then jumped up and hustled back to the room Master Luke was in.

She entered this time, only to find her face full of the super battle droid's weapon arm. Nella froze, realizing sadly that she had failed Luke after all, but for some reason the shot never landed. Oh, it went off, but it missed completely.

Wondering what was happening Nella looked around, and saw Luke momentarily awake and holding up a pair of fingers. Not knowing how long her master could keep up his assistance in his precarious physical position, Nella shifted from her arm blaster to a specialized knife. It extended from the interior of her arm like an extension of the limb, and she shoved it into the heart of the droid, twisting and ripping.

The droid seized and went down, and Nella shot it so it too would go up in flames. By this time Luke had lost consciousness, going limp. Barely remembering to don her robe again, Nella hustled to get him out of the room. She made it to the turbolift this time and as it climbed, the little droid willed the lift to go faster.

 **00000**

Leia sat back from the terminal with a heavy sigh, having just finished erasing all traces of her activity. She stood with a huge stretch, and was about to retire for the evening when something caught her attention in the Force. She paused, frowning in consternation as she tried to figure out what it was.

A flash of Luke's face came to her and Leia's frown deepened, but she started moving almost as if in a daze. Partway to the door, Leia's datapad bleeped and she retrieved it.

And gaped at the message coming to her from one of her spider droids.

 _A strange being is taking the Prince. Now in turbolift._

Her protective instincts flaring to their full height, Leia swore viciously and raced from the library, the memory of Luke asking for her to help someone forgotten in the heat of the moment.

The Princess took the fastest route for her to the turbolift that would take her to sublevel twelve; the northern approach. No one would kidnap her brother!

But would that mean an end to his suffering? Leia shook her head. Yes, it would for now, but what would they do with him when they got him away? And _who_ were they anyway?

Making a call to the one person she trusted in all of the palace's security, Leia prayed she wasn't too late.

 **00000**

Mara tapped out a rhythm on her console, trying and failing to relax enough to calm her beating heart. So close... she was so close now she could almost hear the pompous fools who dared call themselves senators boasting about all the supposed good they were doing. Mara had always thought that the Imperial Senators talked about themselves loud enough to be heard across the galaxy without the HoloNet.

She thinned her lips, deciding it would be best to be ready for anything, and so she strapped into her seat more fully and forced herself to take deep, cleansing breaths.

 **00000**

Nella thanked her lucky stars when the turbolift reached the upper floor and opened to reveal no one there. She wasted no time in hovering her master back the way she'd come along the southern corridors, and Nella moved with far less caution, especially when she caught movement on her monitored line. Nella had hacked into one of the communications lines in the palace during her recon, and was now using that to monitor the position of the troopers within.

Thus she heard Sergeant Hubert Quane being hailed by Princess Leia, _and_ Nella heard that Leia was using the northern corridors. Nella felt a new urgency when Quane said he'd take the southern route. Nella glanced at her unconscious package and grabbed him with her arms, pushing him along even faster.

She barely got into the shadows just behind one cross-junction before the approaching Sergeant appeared around the corner, the man's glowrod out and searching the halls after he passed Nella's position.

Nella heard him call for trooper reinforcements and she considered her options. With more troopers coming out, Nella could no longer just float Master Luke along. Nella checked the map in her memory banks and noted a laundry chute nearby.

One just large enough to admit Luke if he was placed feet-first. Nella made her choice and set course for her new destination, keeping to the shadows this time. She passed several squads of troopers, each time managing to evade them and their searches, though a few times it was a close call. At long last she got to the utility room and wasted no time in maneuvering Luke inside the laundry chute.

Keeping a firm hold on his hair— and grateful he wasn't awake to feel it being pulled in such a manner— Nella floated him carefully down to the basement level, which also happened to be the level of the hangar bay.

Nella checked the coast once she and Luke had landed in the large laundry collection bin and then floated Luke along, noting that the search party hadn't come this far down yet. In fact, they were probably searching the upper-level exits and hangar bays first, not thinking of the collection of ships so far down.

Which was why Luke had ordered her to use the _Armistice_ , Nella realized.

She entered the hangar bay at last, and was relieved to hear Artoo whistling at her to hurry, and Nella did so. Once Luke was secured inside the vessel, however, Nella turned to the helpful droid... and took aim.

"I am sorry, Artoo, but you can't be seen as an accomplice." And with that she fired a static burst at the droid to knock him out. Artoo screamed as his circuits were overloaded and then he fell forward to land on his face.

Nella hadn't wanted to hurt him, but she'd had to for his own good. Then she started the ship, opened the hangar bay door and took off for the skies, counting on the element of surprise to get her far enough up to have an advantage.

 **00000**

"General, we have an unsanctioned launch from the Palace's no-fly zone!" a lieutenant shouted from a station in the crew pit of the Imperial Star Destroyer _Dominant_.

The man being addressed puffed out his chest authoritatively, not willing to let something like this go down on _his_ watch. "Well then, let's take it down! Launch two flights!"

 **00000**

Leia reached the turbolift room first and saw the door open... and noticed that a strange odor was in the turbolift car. Leia winced at how acrid it was, and only realized it was smoke when wisps of it trailed out into the larger room. Backing out, Leia bumped into Quane, who'd just arrived.

"Princess, are you alright?" Quane asked, even as he sniffed the air. "Phew! What in space is that smell?"

"It smells like burning circuitry," Leia complained, turning away and noticing strange markings in the dust on the floor. Markings that were leading _away_ from the lift. "Look there! They've already gotten him out!"

Quane frowned, also eyeing the floor. "But there are no footprints, and no drag marks from a body either. Are you sure?"

Leia hesitated, but the Force was now whispering to her and she deigned to listen to it and her gut. "Yes. Come on!"

But even as they followed the trail that turned down the southern corridor, Leia had to wonder what was really going on. The markings disappeared once the dust had come off the... object, and it almost looked like a robe had been dragging on the floor.

Leia and Quane lost the trail only a few paces after that, but did run into a squad coming their way.

"Captain, any word on the Prince?" Quane demanded.

"None Sir." The trooper answered. "I..."

Leia's comlink went off then, and she snatched it off her belt. "Princess Leia here, what is it?"

" _Forgive the intrusion Princess, but..._ " the voice hesitated. " _Well, there was an unsanctioned launch from the lower, private hangar bay just now._ "

Leia stared at the device in her hands as if it had grown a head. "Would you like to run that by me again?"

" _A ship took off from your family's, ah,_ hobby _hangar bay, Princess. Someone just stole a ship from the collection,_ " the trooper stated, and Leia could imagine him waiting for a verbal lashing.

But Leia suddenly realized what had happened. "Stang! That's why we can't find them! They went down instead of up! They knew we'd never think to look there first."

Leia spun around and sprinted for her skiff. "Get TIE fighters on that ship but do _not_ shoot to kill; only disable, understand? Anyone who destroys that ship will deal with me personally!"

" _Yes, Milady!_ " the trooper on the comlink replied before he shut it off. Then, just as swiftly, he was back on. " _Milady, the_ Dominant _just launched two flights of TIE's._ "

"Relay my orders!" Leia snapped, realizing that it was probably already too late.

" _Yes Ma'am!_ "

Quane was hot on her heels as Leia barreled toward her ship. "I'll come with you."

"Fine." Leia clipped, not stopping even as her companion ordered Leia's immediate launch from the hangar bay.

They arrived and Leia leapt for the controls, grateful as ever for the emergency start-up her father had installed once Leia became a full Shadow for him. The function was used to start the ship up in a hurry of she needed to make a fast getaway.

Or if she needed to reclaim her kidnapped brother.

Leia's systems showed green and she blasted from the space with reckless abandon, aiming for the faraway blip that now appeared on her scopes.

 **00000**

Nella made it nearly to open space before she was swarmed by two squadrons of TIE fighters. She tried not to panic as she delved into the pilot programming Luke had installed, but she had next to zero combat-pilot training. This was the one part of the mission she had truly expressed doubts about to Master Luke, who'd assured her she'd be fine.

Nella was flying purely on his programming, and so had to trust that because she didn't know what else to do. And, of course, there was the little matter of her injured body... and some of her systems were no longer functioning at full capacity round-the-clock thanks to the lucky shot from that batteldroid.

The enemy ships opened fire and Nella dodged them the best she could. At first she did alright, and only one or two blasts got through, but then the shields began to fail as the Empire's pilots caught up with her, and Nella decided to try outrunning them instead of dog-fighting the TIE's.

Nella pushed the _Armistice_ for all the speed she was worth, which didn't seem like a lot, but they were almost to a jump point, and so Nella went with her current approach, hoping it worked.

A blast to the rear of the vessel rocked it and Nella watched with dismay as the shields were slowly eaten away at. Through her slightly disabled functioning, Nella executed a few desperate barrel rolls to try avoiding more shots, but one finally punched through and she felt her hopes sink like a duracrete block in water.

At the same time, an alarm pounded its siren call through the air and a blast door slammed shut, sealing off the rear end of the ship.

Nella glanced back at where shed stashed Luke on the acceleration couch instead of the beds, and she was suddenly glad for that.

 **00000**

Leia's ship was far faster than any TIE fighter, and so it took her little time to reach open space, and by then she was finally able to see the fleeing ship surrounded by a swarm of TIE's. To Leia it looked like flies to a piece of carrion, but the metaphor washed away as she realized that the ship carrying her twin was now venting interior atmosphere into a hard vacuum.

Swearing, Leia punched a finger onto the communications console. "Princess Leia Vader to TIE squadron... Teeva." Leia had to glance at the readout for the squad name. "Cease fire _immediately!_ Prince Luke is onboard that ship!"

" _Princess?_ " a startled voice replied. " _What are you doing here?_ "

"Cease fire! _Cease fire!_ " Leia cried as the squadron continued to try and destroy the escaping ship. Another hit was scored and flames exited the ship, and Leia's heart lurched with terror.

" _Yes Milady!_ "

"Princess, I don't think we will make it there in..."

"Shut up!" Leia snapped at Quane as he tried to tell her they'd be too late. Leia could feel a weight in her spirit that brought her nearly to tears, but she still pushed her ship forward, angling to catch the approaching ship. But even with how fast hers went, the battle was still just too far away for her to do much else but pray for a miracle.

 **00000**

Nella was crying out in electronic panic as something in the ship exploded and she suddenly lost control of the entire vessel. It was now only moving forward because of the inertia still pushing it forward, and that wouldn't last very long.

Not knowing what else to do, Nella abandoned the controls of the ship and made to get her master into an emergency flight suit and helmet, even as their only means of escape began to plummet without control.

Then a new klaxon blared, signaling the imminent destruction of the _Armistice_ and Nella worked faster, trying anything to save Luke's life at this point... even if she no longer had any idea how to do that.

 **00000**

Leia watched as the TIE's abandoned the pursuit, and then they all turned tail to run when the vessel started emitting fire-bursts into space in rapid succession like solar flares from a sun.

The next thing Leia knew a large explosion ripped through the space Luke's ship had occupied, darkening all scope and viewports as the shockwave hit Leia's ship.

" _NOOO!_ " Leia screamed, being blinded as well from the too-bright light of the inferno from her brother's exploding ship.

"Princess, pull up!" Quane barked as their ship wobbled out of control also, with the viewport no longer facing the destroyed ship.

"LUKE!" Leia shrieked, even as she struggled to see so she could fly.

Realizing her predicament, Quane seized control of their ship and blasted away from the scene until the Princess' skiff was back under control. He then turned to the sobbing teenager and bent over to look at her eyes.

"Princess, are you..."

"NO! I am _NOT_ alright!" Leia shot back furiously, blinking rapidly as her vision finally started returning. "Go back!"

"There's nothing to go back to!"

Leia grabbed him by the scruff of his tunic and jerked him nose-to-nose with her. "I. said. go. _back!_ "

Quane thinned his lips, but nodded once and obeyed. He silently steered them back to the explosion, noting that there was nothing left of the other ship to see, let alone any bodies.

Leia took note of this too, but still forced Quane to search for a full ten minutes before she gave up.

"Take me back," Leia whispered, curling into a ball on the pilot's seat and sobbing mightily. "...Luke..."

* * *

 **(** **A/N:** _for those of you who followed my_ _Suns Among Stars Trilogy_ _, you will be (hopefully) pleased to hear that the promised sequel is at last under works. I'm working on plot details ATM, and will hopefully begin the writing soon. Please keep an eye out for it._ _Current_ _working title is "The Rising Darkness". Thanks everyone!_ **)**


	33. Chapter 32

**Chapter Thirty Two:**

When Quane had received the call that the Emperor and Empress had cut their trip short and were coming home, his heart had clenched with fear. Would he be killed for failing to protect the Prince even though he had done everything he could?

Quane hadn't slept one wink since that call twenty-four standard hours earlier and he was feeling the effects of no sleep for so long. Thank goodness for good caf to keep him at least mostly awake.

He forced himself to focus now as their yacht settled onto its normal spot on in the Royal hangar bay.

Of course, Princess Leia had also been called, but the moment they had returned to the palace, Leia had locked herself inside her rooms and hadn't emerged since, even barring her handmaiden from coming in.

It was clear the young woman was in mourning, and while Quane respected that, he wasn't certain how the teen's parents would like her ignoring their summons.

The ramp lowered and Quane took a steadying breath, squaring his shoulders as the couple appeared.

Quane bowed low to them both. "Your Majesties welcome home. I trust your trip was pleasant?"

"Where is Leia?" Padmé demanded without responding to his pleasantries.

Quane straightened, clearing his throat. "The Princess has locked herself in her quarters, Highness, and refuses to come out. Nor will she let anyone inside."

"We will see about that," Padmé growled, and then Vader glared at Quane, his patience for his turn to speak wearing out.

"What happened to my son?" Vader asked in a tone that chilled Quane to the core.

Quane cleared his throat discreetly. "We are still investigating the occurrence, Sire, but so far we know he was taken by a figure in a black robe that had full access to the places they went. They just... went through like they had all the access codes already. So either someone hacked the system from the outside, or..."

"Or someone on the inside leaked the Intel." Vader finished for him, his face red with anger. "This will be investigated to the full extent of our capabilities." The Emperor pointed a finger at Quane, and then made a motion with his hand. Quane felt his airways constrict warningly, and his breathing stopped. "I want answers, Sergeant..."

Quane managed to keep his head, and he nodded his understanding. Vader eyed him for a few seconds more and then released him. Quane took in a few large gulps of air, struggling to regain his composure swiftly as the royal couple walked onward.

Vader was still addressing Quane. "I will be doing my own search into what happened. I want no stone unturned, and I want whoever was responsible for this in my office within the week, or there will be hell to pay. Do I make myself clear?"

"Perfectly," Quane replied, refraining from rubbing his neck.

He split off from the royals as they went to their daughter's quarters and he returned to where the investigation was in full swing.

 **00000**

It was dark and gloomy inside her normally well-lit rooms. The lush curtains were drawn, blocking out most of the sunlight, and the effect mirrored the Princess's mood.

She'd lost her brother: her one link to something good within her family. Artoo was great, but he wasn't a living breathing person that could hug her back, crack jokes that only her twin brother knew would cheer her up...

Leia would never again see Luke's blue eyes light up with mirth when he teased her, or feel him hold her when she needed to cry and refused to let the galaxy see. He would never again stand up for her when Padmé used Leia as one would a porcelain doll: all dressed up to show off so _Padmé_ would look great.

Nor would Leia ever again hear his soft voice... or spar against her twin with her lightsaber...

Leia was deeply saddened that she'd not been able to help Luke in his last days save to comfort him. She was grateful for that last moment she'd had with him, and would cherish the way he'd looked at her for the rest of her life.

Leia had raided Luke's room in the dead of night after everyone else had finally left her alone. She'd taken a few of his things and placed them in her room: Luke's first model— one he and she had actually done together— as well as his pillow, a few of his favorite trinkets, and lastly the small plant Luke had nursed from a seed with pride despite Leia's teasing.

Now these things were in her room, set with care on a shelf, save his pillow. She clung to the item like it was Luke, breathing in her brother's scent because it was all she could do now. Leia started crying again at the fresh reminder that Luke was gone, and she wondered who she had left to talk to: to _really_ talk to. Someone who'd not judge her or turn her in for speaking things her parents may not like.

He'd not be there to comfort her ever again... to be her listening ear and shoulder to lean on...

A loud knock on her front door sounded throughout the apartment, and Leia's mood soured further when she realized who it was. Hoping that if she ignored them they'd go away, Leia buried her face in Luke's pillow.

No such luck. The knock came again, but was cut off by her Father's use of the Force to open it. Leia braced herself for the storm even as she sighed resignedly.

When her bedroom door clanged open, Leia made no move to acknowledge her parents, even as Padmé strode to the bed and ripped the covers off Leia.

"Get up," Padmé ordered... and Leia didn't move. "Young Lady, you need to get up. You are a Princess, and you will act like one."

Leia's anger peaked, and in a flash she was sitting upright and glaring forcefully at her mother. "I could be just like you, is that it, Mother? A heartless woman who cares for nothing and no one but herself and doesn't even weep when her _son_ dies?!"

Padmé's eyes flashed and before Leia could catch the action, the woman's hand flashed out and slapped Leia so hard the young woman's head snapped to the side.

"You will not speak to me in such a manner!" Padmé snapped furiously.

Leia clenched her teeth, breathing with difficulty through her anger. "I'm sorry Mother; I was just trying to be honest."

Another hand snatched Leia by the shirt, and it was suddenly Vader in Leia's face. "You will watch how you speak to your mother, Young Lady."

Leia glared for a moment, and then realized she was dangerously close to messing up her mission. She then realized s how she could honor Luke: by fulfilling her mission... and doing for herself what he had tried to do for himself.

Playing the part smoothly, Leia cast her gaze downward, allowing more tears to fall. "I'm... I'm sorry... I'm just... hurting. I just can't believe Luke's g-gone!"

Vader softened and sighed, drawing Leia closer in a rare hug. Leia was surprised at the gesture, but welcomed the motion like the love-starved person she was. "We will figure this out, Leia," her father said softly, but Leia didn't hear any remorse in his tone, only... disappointment.

Leia had to work hard not to stiffen in indignation and ruin her charade. But oh, how she wanted to hit both her parents. Their son was dead, and not a single one of them so much as gave him a second thought save the loss of control they'd suffered. She could sense that Vader was angry— actually he was livid that Luke was gone— but Leia sensed that it wasn't because of the loss of his child. Vader's plans had been foiled, that was all he cared about.

Leia settled for a nod. "I believe we will." She pulled away and straightened her nightgown the best she could. "How was your trip?"

"Relaxing," Padmé replied, turning away. "Get dressed, eat something, and meet us once that's done. We have a funeral to arrange."

Leia's heart cracked, but she managed to keep herself together. "Yes Mother."

Once the pair was gone, Leia released her anger on a piece of art Padmé had given her: taking the thing and ripping it to shreds, not caring if the painting had cost more than most people made in a year.

She was furious with her parents' nonchalant attitude, and she hated them for it. But she calmed herself down by recalling her purpose: her mission. She _would not_ fail. She would bring her parents down, and she would not allow Luke to have died in vain.

He _would_ be remembered.

With that in her heart, Leia stood straight and performed her duties as was expected.

 **00000**

Vader, to everyone's dismay, took the investigation in hand, going over everything himself and retracing the steps taken by the intruder, finish to start. He followed every iota of information already gathered while taking in any clues he could find himself. He relayed his findings to a stormtrooper tailing him, and the man dutifully took notes as ordered while the Emperor focused on the search itself.

He found it odd that there were no footprints in any of the halls, and yet the person had clearly come this way...

Eventually Vader found his way to the hangar bay the royals used to store their ships for repairs and tinkering and such. Thus it was that the people had discovered that Artoo Detoo, the droid kept in the royal family's hobby hangar bay, had been attacked.

The droid was still being worked on, but the Emperor was more concerned with his memory banks than the overall welfare to the mechanic, though he did still have a small soft spot for the droid.

For old times' sake, Vader ordered a full restoration of the droid, though his personality was to remain intact, so no memory wipes.

While he waited for Artoo's recovery, Vader took a ship and flew the path of the battle, taking in everything he could and trying to glean any data he could, hoping that maybe he'd catch something everyone else missed.

Vader took his time, ordering all other traffic to be re-routed while he inspected the site of the battle. He could feel the emotions of many beings, but oddly there wasn't much to be picked up by the person who seemed to be responsible for Luke's kidnapping.

Vader frowned at that, trying to puzzle it out. Was it another Force-sensitive who could mask their presence? But then why the lack of footprints all over the castle save the drag marks of some robe? Who could levitate for so long unless...

Unless they were using some sort of repulsor sled to get around. That would explain the lack of footprints...

Vader didn't sense another Force-signature in the immediate area, however something tickled his awareness at a certain point beyond the explosion, but an incoming transmission interrupted his thoughts.

"Your Majesty, Sergeant Quane here. We have Artoo awake, Majesty."

Vader nodded even though the call was voice-only. "Good. I will be there soon. Wait for me."

"As you wish."

The call ended and Vader peered around more, but there was no trace of his son's presence other than the muted effect brought on by his days of torture. Luke hadn't been in good health as it was, so it was no wonder his presence was so faded.

And there was no evidence that Vader could discern that anyone onboard the _Armistice_ had survived the explosion. A fist clenched, and Vader had to make sure it was the one not holding the yolk. Luke was gone... and Vader's only link to a fully Sith bloodline was gone with him.

When Leia married, she would take on another name. And even so, she wasn't as powerful as her brother had been. Luke would have built up the Vader-Sith dynasty, ensuring that their family ruled for more generations.

If only the stupid boy had seen reason... all of this could have been avoided!

Vader caught sight of a nearby ship and directed his full wrath into it, not caring who was inside even as he watched it first cave in on itself and then explode. His anger somewhat sated, Vader sighed and turned back to the Palace.

Vader landed and immediately went to the hobby hangar where Artoo worked. The little blue droid was whistling irately and Vader was surprised to see Leia there. But then again, Padmé had told the girl to get her act together.

Dismissing the young woman's presence, Vader bent before the droid, who focused on him. "What can you tell me?"

Artoo whistled, already having been through a search via the tech's computers. Artoo had had to get crafty with shielding his memory banks so as to not give away Leia or Nella, but he had to give them something lest he appear incompetent and be scrapped.

 _I was attacked by a being in a hooded black robe, they had Master Luke, and before I could raise the alarm they shot me._ Artoo played the recording of his photoreceptor seeing the hooded figure seconds before he was shot.

Vader eyed the footage, then the droid. "Did you get a full visual on the intruder?"

Artoo whistled sadly. _No, their face was covered the entire time, but their feet did not touch the ground, and it was a female voice._

Vader's eyes shot up. "Female? You're certain?"

Artoo rocked once forward. _A deep, female voice, it may have been a voice modulator, I am not certain._

Vader rubbed his chin. "Thank you Artoo, you've given me enough."

The Emperor rose. "It is clear to me now that the Prince was kidnapped and I want to know who it was. Find whoever leaked the intelligence, or I will start my own sort of investigation, and I promise you don't want that."

Quane looked around him at all the fine men and women he'd worked with for years, knowing they were all innocent. He decided to risk it in their behalf and stepped forward.

"Sire, I can assure you no one in the palace betrayed the Royal Family. You yourselves handpicked us for our loyalty to you." The Emperor turned to face the man, and he bravely continued. "I ask His Majesty to trust his staff. We would never betray you, Sire."

Many heads nodded consent, and Vader sensed their honesty. And while he appreciated it, it irked him that no one knew who had taken his son.

Although... Vader's head came up, and suddenly an idea formed, and the more he worked through it, the more he liked it. "Very well, but on one condition. I want you all to make this look like a Rebellion attack. Paint them as the murdering cowards they are."

Quane saluted crisply. "At once, Sire."

Leia stared after her father, wondering how he could just... drop it like that. Not that she wanted the innocent people around her to die, but she had honestly expected more from her _father_ at least.

Maybe he didn't have nearly as much of a heart as she'd thought me might still have.

With a heavy countenance, Leia did what she could to help the Imperials paint the Rebels as the ones behind Luke's kidnapping and death.

 **00000**

Night was in full swing, and rain was pouring down the side of the large building as two figures approached the entrance. They went inside and were met by the owner, who seemed to already know why they were there.

Following directions, the figures returned to their ship and unloaded their package, taking it to a hidden doorway. Their contact met them there and directed them on where to put their bundle, and they did so.

"How long will this take?" one figure demanded uneasily.

"That is uncertain," their contact replied cryptically. "These things take time, but in the end, they are always worthwhile."

The figure thinned their lips but said nothing more, taking a seat with a sigh.


	34. Chapter 33

**Chapter Thirty-Three:**

Leia hadn't seen this much of a crowd since her parents had announced the twins' official place in the line for succession. The fact that almost everyone was dressed in black did nothing to alleviate the Princess' sorrow.

She wished the reason for gathering had been a happier one, but alas, the entire galaxy stood still for a few hours as they mourned the loss of their prince.

Leia sat beside her mother and father as an officiator gave an opening speech, though in truth she drowned out most of what he was saying, sensing he didn't really mean most of the endearing remarks. She knew they had been pre-planned to gain sympathy from the citizens of the Empire and more.

When the man finally sat down, there was a scattering of soft applause and then Padmé took the podium. In the true fashion of the politician the woman was, Padmé adopted her most mournful expression.

"Today is truly a dark day for the Empire. For the galaxy. We have lost one of our sweetest citizens. My dear Luke was a kind-hearted young man who loved the people. He always wanted to do the right thing, and he hated when others were treated unfairly. He was truly a gem among stones."

Padmé dabbed at her eyes with a handkerchief, and Leia had to suppress an eye-roll. She was probably one of the only ones who noted that Padmé's tears were feigned.

"But we will remember Luke by continuing to live our lives and fight for the freedom of all Imperial citizens." Padmé threw her gaze out about the crowd, and to the cameras. "He has not died in vain. Luke, we loved you." Padmé looked down. "May you rest in peace, my son."

She sat down and Leia gritted her teeth, but said nothing, even when her father rose to take the stand, his stance making it clear he meant business.

"My fellow Imperials. Thank you for coming to this memorial service for our son, your Prince and once-future Emperor." Vader paused, and then stared straight into the nearest camera. "However, I can assure you that Prince Luke's death was no accident."

Murmurs shuffled the crowd, and Leia frowned slightly, wondering what her father was up to now.

"Indeed. Evidence has come to light that the Prince was assassinated by the Rebel Alliance! They coordinated a second kidnapping and managed to sneak into the Palace. It was not very widely known before this that Prince Luke had been severely injured upon his return home after his original kidnapping. It now appears that whoever let him go sent with him a means of getting him back... and they also orchestrated his demise."

The noise level of the crowd rose in indignation at this, and Leia couldn't believe that Vader was using Luke's funeral to paint the Rebellion like this. She could just imagine all the indignant shouts and cat-calls happening in many an Alliance gathering places, where they too were no doubt viewing the proceedings.

"The Alliance killed our Prince!" Vader thundered, pounding a fist onto the podium. "And they _will_ be brought to justice! They will not get away with this treachery! It is one thing to target the military, especially in war, but to target innocents who aren't involved actively with the fighting is wrong on any front!"

The crowd began to voice its agreement, with many men shouting their own curses upon the Alliance. Vader's sense grew triumphant, and Leia swallowed.

"The Empire will not rest until the Alliance had been brought to justice for their crimes! Not just against my family, but against the citizens of our Empire! We _will_ have peace! No longer will my people live in fear of those who terrorize our borders and steal our supplies to feed their violence! Long live the Empire!"

The people below roared their own ' _Long live the Empire!_ ' and cheering went up as Vader lifted his lightsaber and ignited it.

He stood for several seconds and then deactivated the blade, nodding his head and gesturing for the pyre that had been set up with Luke's image on it. A man in uniform bowed and lifted the torch, setting it to the small pyre and the crowd fell into solemn silence once more as the image was swallowed up and reduced to ashes along with the wood.

Leia didn't bother hiding her tears, and she was surprised when out of nowhere a silent, but gentle hand rested on her shoulder in support. She glanced behind her to see Quane giving her an honestly sorrowful gaze.

She managed a small smile for him, grateful for the gesture before he dropped his limb. Leia allowed her gaze to rest on what had once been an image of Luke, regretting that there hadn't even been a body to burn.

Leia felt a nudge to her elbow when the ashes began to flutter in the breeze, and she took note of Padmé and Vader rising to leave. Hesitant, Leia looked to Quane, then rose and whispered something to him.

He nodded. "I'll take care of it, Princess."

Satisfied that she could trust the man, Leia left with her parents.

Hours later, when the after-funeral 'festivities' had concluded, Leia sank wearily onto her couch, and was about to lie down when Quane announced his arrival and entered.

Leia perked up when he handed her a vial, and she accepted the ashes of her brother's pyre tenderly. "Thank you, Sergeant."

Quane dipped his head. "Of course. Luke... was a good young man. I will miss him."

Leia nodded, sensing his sincerity. "I will too."

She began to break down then, and without waiting permission, Quane sat beside her and pulled her to his chest to offer himself as comfort.

 **00000**

Three sets of eyes stared at the holovid as it played the funeral proceedings, and they were hardly surprised by the mixed reactions of the patrons around them. A rounded orange head shook with a deep sigh, and goggled eyes turned to her two companions.

"This will complicate things," Maz muttered.

Nella turned her photoreceptors onto the small woman and tilted her cranium. "How so?"

Maz glanced at the screen once more and then back to the droid. "Because, now the entire galaxy believes their prince is deceased."

"But is this not a good thing?" Nella asked, somewhat confused.

The woman shrugged. "That remains to be seen."

Their third party member finally shifted, coming out of her thoughts. She looked troubled, and in fact, she hadn't said much at all in her time there with Maz and Nella. With the exception of one explanation.

Mara thinned her lips and stood without a word, retreating to the steps that led down into the basement levels of Maz's castle cantina. She felt the attention of Maz and Nella, but ignored them both as she descended as far down as she could. When she reached the apparent end of the corridors, Mara paused, having to go through a hidden doorway in order to continue on to the secret chambers beyond.

She entered a well-lit corridor that was blocked from view by several dark hanging curtains meant to avoid giving the corridor away with the lighting in an otherwise darkened hall before. Mara traversed the walkway, passing an operating room and then coming to the three patient recovery rooms beyond.

In the furthest room, lying prone in the bed was a blond young man on the cusp of adulthood. Mara entered his room and paused, uncertain.

She moved closer and stared at his still face, noting the scars and blemishes that now covered it, even after Maz's droids had finished surgery. The patient had just come out of the bacta tank, and was now in full-out recovery mode.

No one knew for certain when the young man would awaken, but Mara wondered what Prince Luke would do when he realized what he was now: dead to the galaxy.

Mara's gaze took on a faraway look, and memories resurfaced.

" _Come on! Come one!" Mara growled at her ship even as the Force was screaming at Mara that she needed to be there_ right now _. She was seconds from the reversion point, and Mara had never been so on edge._

 _She saw the counter hit zero and instantly drew her ship from hyperspace... and promptly swore in three different languages when an explosion buffeted her ship._

 _Mara was about to turn around when two silhouettes, backlit against the brilliance, caught Mara's attention._

 _With urgency surging through her veins, Mara never stopped to question where the skill came from: she merely feathered her repulsors, swiveled her ship and sucked the pair of beings into her hold._

 _Not waiting for the green light, Mara punched the hyperdrive again and leapt blindly in a daring maneuver. She dropped from hyperspace seconds later, calculated the next fastest jump she could manage and leapt again..._

Mara shook her head to clear it, the hours after her rescue a blur of medical equipment, secret passages and tense waiting for a diagnosis.

And all the while, Mara had remained on edge.

She sensed the being coming into the room before she heard the soft footfalls behind her, and Mara spoke without turning. "He won't ever be able to show his face in public again. He will be confined to the shadows."

Maz eyed the red head from behind. "Indeed."

Mara still did not turn. "I don't know what he hoped to gain from this stunt, but his moves are seriously hampered now."

"Are they really?" Maz countered.

Mara nodded once. "Yes. Everyone thinks he's dead, so if he suddenly appears somewhere things aren't going to end well for him."

"True, but at the same time, his supposed demise will allow him to train in secret, without the constant need to look over his shoulder for his enemy."

Mara thought about how sad it was that the prince had been running from his family the entire time he'd been away from Coruscant. She didn't have any family left so Mara truly felt for the other teen for that. He shouldn't have had to be afraid of his parents.

Dropping her arms from their folded position she hadn't realized they'd adopted, Mara sighed. "You have a good point. But I still don't see why he is so important."

"Maybe the better question is why would _you_ drop everything to help a stranger?" Maz asked knowingly, seeing through Mara's shields with a well-practiced eye.

Mara tensed, and Maz knew she'd hit a nerve. "I don't like what you're insinuating."

"The truth." Maz returned simply.

"And that would be?" Mara's voice was cold as ice.

Maz was unperturbed. "You tell me. What does a young woman such as yourself find in a total stranger that makes her drop her life to save him from the impossible?"

Needing to vent to _someone_ , Mara had tentatively opened up to Maz about the experience with Luke while he'd been in surgery, and how odd it had all been. Also how Mara's feelings about the prince had been... conflicted.

Mara didn't know what to feel. She had spent most of her life surviving, not giving in to her desire for an emotional attachment. Karrde was as close as she came to such a thing, and he was more of a father-figure to her, and she knew it would never develop into a romance.

"I don't know!" Mara snapped, spinning around when Maz's gaze continued to burn her. "I don't know why I did it, only that I couldn't bear not to! I tried to deny it, believe me." Mara shifted uncomfortably, her voice dropping uneasily. "But I couldn't."

Maz stepped forward, and Mara eyed her warily. "You feel a connection to him."

Mara's mouth turned downward. "No."

Maz's eyebrows lifted knowingly. "Really?"

Mara glared. "What do you want from me Maz?"

"Only for you to accept what is right before you," Maz said gently.

Mara's glare intensified. "Let's get something straight. No one and nothing decides _my_ future for me! Only me. I may feel a connection, yes, I will admit that. But what that means is something _I_ will decide for myself."

Maz actually smiled. "I admire your spirit, Child."

Mara rolled her eyes. "Yeah yeah. I'm going up for some air."

And with that she brushed past the woman and disappeared into the hall. She paid no heed to Nella coming the opposite way, only sitting in a corner booth and ordering a drink.

Mara thought of Karrde, and how worried he had to be over her. She hadn't contacted him since the night she'd arrived on Takodana, and Mara hadn't been very informative then either. She'd only said she wouldn't be back for a while and not to worry.

She'd then gone on to cut the line before Karrde could counter and spent several subsequent hours feeling guilty, but it had been out of fear for giving herself away.

Now she could only imagine how she'd return to Karrde and explain herself. The notion wasn't one she wanted to dwell on for long.

 **00000**

Two days had passed since the funeral, and Padmé stood before the one-way window of Vader's and hers private chambers. She had been lost to her thoughts for hours now, and Vader had been silent but respectful of her need for space.

But now, after forty-eight hours and a determination to correct wherever they went wrong, Padmé turned to her husband, who was lounging on their bed in nothing but a pair of sleep pants.

Padmé herself wore a revealing nightgown she knew he loved on her, and she drew near to him.

Vader looked up at her approach and set his datapad aside. "What is it Angel?"

Padmé sat at his side, angling her body so she could see him clearly. "Ani... give me another son."

Vader's eyes widened a little, surprised. "What?"

Padmé didn't back down, taking his hand. "We will not leave this galaxy without an heir... a _proper_ heir. One we have groomed from the start. We went wrong with Luke, obviously, so let's start fresh."

She could see the cogs turning in Vader's mind, and Padmé continued her pleas. "Give me a son; give us an heir we can be proud of. Ensure our families' survival after we are gone."

Vader eyed her, and Padmé could see she was winning him over. Pouring on the charm, Padmé shifted to stand on all fours over him, her nightgown purposely revealing more cleavage.

"Make love to me..." Padmé began to tease his naked chest with seductive kisses. "Let's start anew..." He was trembling under her ministrations, and Padmé moved to whisper in his ear, her voice husky. "I want you."

And with that he snatched her up and pulled her close, crushing his lips to hers. Padmé smiled against his mouth and melted into his fevered embrace.


	35. Chapter 34

**Chapter Thirty-Four:**

A week after the funeral, Damielle stood outside Leia's office door, hearing the steady rhythm of a keyboard as the other teenager worked. The red haired girl felt her heart go out to the princess, as she knew what it was like to have one's family taken away.

Damielle cleared her throat, and then knocked softly. "Princess?"

There was a pause from within. "Yes?"

"May I come in?" Damielle asked.

"Sure."

The teen nodded and did so, holding aloft her tray of goodies. "I hope you don't mind, but I thought you could use a little... pick-me-up."

Leia's brow rose in surprise. Damielle had been absent for several days in order to attend a culinary class Padmé had insisted that the girl take so she could better feed Leia. Leia personally didn't see the need for that but she wasn't going to press her luck with her parents so soon by denying it either.

Leia closed her computer down and shifted to a clear spot on her desk, motioning for Damielle to join her. "Please."

Damielle smiled. "Thank you Milady."

Leia eyed the foods, noting that they were all rather... delicious looking, and not what would normally be served. "What is all of this anyway?"

"Goodies I found at a food market outside the palace walls. Don't worry, the buyer is reputable, and I swear by it." Damielle hastened to add.

Leia held up a hand. "I trust you, Damielle."

That threw the redhead for a loop, and she stared, a pang of guilt coursing through her. "Y... you do?"

Leia eyed her oddly, and then released the other from her gaze. "I trust that you aren't trying to kill me. You haven't yet, and there's been ample opportunity."

Damielle nodded. "I appreciate your... faith in me, Princess."

Leia's lips lifted somewhat, and they ate for a bit before she ventured a query. "Do you know what it's like to lose a sibling?"

Damielle paused in taking a bite, swallowing. "No, but I understand losing a father." Leia studied her openly, and Damielle met her gaze sadly, speaking further. "I'm so sorry about Prince Luke. I wish I could have been here to help."

Leia dropped her gaze and resumed snacking on some of her food. "There wasn't anything anyone could have done. But thank you."

They fell into a companionable silence then, broken only occasionally by light conversation meant only to pass the time and help them relax.

 **00000**

Darkness had encompassed him for so long he almost didn't remember what the opposite was. That is, until something else began to permeate his awareness. Slowly, almost as if a tiny sun had risen with agonizing slowness, light had begun to filter in.

And with that light had also come things that stimulated other senses not used in... however long it had been.

Second to the light had come sounds. It had been muffled at first, but then a little clearer... and all of the voices were female. He didn't really make out words, just tone and general emotion.

Then he'd regained a sense of touch; though with it had come the lack of immediate memories. He'd not recalled at first what his last thought had been, or what he'd been doing. But as time went on and he drew closer and closer to waking, he'd come to realize he didn't hurt anymore.

In fact, though his backside was numb, it was most definitely not against metal or stone. And his wrists and ankles weren't manacled... he wasn't lying like a broken doll in a corner of his dark, dank cell...

He was lying on something soft, and after days on end in hell, it was like a heavenly cloud to him.

The memories had come then— in full force— and he'd been forced to accept them because he had nothing else to do with them. But now, as he breathed deeply and worked to open his eyes, he shoved that all aside in favor of figuring out where he was.

White light flooded his eyes as soon as the lids parted, and he squeezed them shut with a slight hiss.

"...Master Luke?"

The young man froze at that voice, recognizing it and turning his head towards it. Luke reopened his eyes, forcing himself to deal with the lights this time as he worked to bring the figure hovering nearby into focus.

It took several minutes, but eventually he saw a white-gold droid with an almost tear-drop style body and a smaller domed head. Her photoreceptors were trained intently on his face, and Luke managed a small smile.

"Nella?" he croaked, wincing at his raw throat.

The droid made a happy noise and whipped out a comlink, chattering away into it and then returning her full attention back to her master.

"I am so glad to see you awake, Master Luke!" Nella exclaimed. "I was so worried for you!" She grew quieter, remorseful. "I... I thought I had failed you."

Luke's heart panged and he lifted a hand to touch her slim arm. "But you didn't. I'm so proud of you Nella. Not to mention grateful. Thank you for saving me."

"It wasn't just me," Nella informed him. "Mara Jade arrived just as the ship exploded to pick us up. It was rather... amazing how she did it."

Luke blinked. "Explosion?" He didn't remember that. He'd passed out before they'd even left sublevel twelve.

Nella nodded, launching into an explanation of what had happened after he lost consciousness. When she came to the space battle, Luke paid close attention, and then worked to control his shock at her final words.

"The galaxy just attended your funeral a few days earlier." Nella's head lowered. "Everyone but us three believes you are... dead."

Luke gaped. "So I'm technically a dead man?"

"Yes," came an older voice.

Luke lifted his head and took in Maz Kanata, and he offered her a genuine smile. "Hello Maz."

"It is good to have you back with us, Luke," Maz murmured as she approached, taking a seat near Nella.

Luke dipped his head, glancing at the door and wondering if Mara would appear next, or if she was even still here. But when she didn't materialize, Luke returned his attention to Maz.

"Your death in the known galaxy is not a bad thing, Luke." The orange-skinned woman insisted.

Luke considered her words, taking his time and appreciating that Maz allowed him to do so. When he had run away initially, Luke had been so afraid of being followed he hadn't really had the chance to _do_ anything. He had been living a lie, and he'd been looking over his shoulder constantly, waiting for the moment when Vader caught up with his wayward Shadow.

Now, however... now that Luke was supposed to be gone, he could move about freely... could hide his identity in public easily and yet he could train in secret for the day he would help take down his parents.

And take them down he would. But that day was still far off: Luke needed help, he needed training and time. Time to really and truly find himself and prepare for his future.

Luke focused on his friends again. "You're right. I don't want the secret to get out... with the exception of one person who absolutely _must_ know."

Maz tilted her head. "Who?"

"Leia," Luke whispered, his heart clenching to know she thought him dead. "I will not lie to her. I trust her implicitly, and I will not hurt her like that. I don't care what anyone else says."

Maz pursed her lips. "I understand, but we would have to get her away from the Palace to tell her."

"Or set her up for a grab-and-go."

Maz thought it over. "That could work, actually. But it cannot be anyone from my contacts. I wouldn't trust them with this."

Luke waved off her concern, yawning widely as his body demanded sleep _now_. "I'll figure it out."

Maz chuckled at him and patted his shoulder affectionately. "Rest, Luke. When you are better, then we can plan."

Luke smiled sleepily and was out before he could reply.

 **00000**

 **Days later**

Luke looked up from where he sat on the couch, dressed in dark clothes that fit him rather comfortably thanks to Maz, who had contacts pretty much galaxy-wide. The woman bore a tray of food that wafted steam and smelled delicious. Luke's stomach growled before he could speak, and he blushed as Maz chuckled.

"Ah, you have the typical male appetite, I see." She joked, handing him the tray while he tried not to appear too eager. Maz was an excellent cook, and he loved her food.

"I've always been a good eater." He admitted with a shrug. "Just ask Leia."

Maz smirked. "Maybe someday I will."

Luke sobered at the mention of his sister, wishing he could call her up: but that was an absolute no anymore. Or at least it was for now. But he was formulating a plan that he would need help with.

Luke pushed past his gloom and began to eat, allowing the meal to lift his spirits. Maz sat with him, not complaining as he ate and she simply offered her company. Luke made sure to enjoy the dish, though he managed not to take _too_ long.

When he set it aside, rubbing at his belly in satisfaction, Luke smiled at the woman. "Thank you for your generosity Maz. I owe you a lot."

Maz waved away his words. "No. You owe me nothing. I did what I could to help you because of my friend. He asked me to help you, and after meeting you, I could not deny you. You are a good person, Luke."

Luke looked at his hands. "I have much innocent blood upon my hands."

Maz sighed. "Yes, there are things in your past that you are not proud of. We all have those. But you cannot dwell on that now. If you want a future, you must learn from and then let go of the past."

Luke lifted his gaze, and then nodded silently.

"Now, it's been a few days since you woke. Have you given any consideration to what you will now do?" Maz asked.

Luke sat up straighter. "Yes, I have. I've thought about your words to me the first time I was here. I know who I want to be now. Now that I am free of everything and everyone looking constantly upon me, I can move around uninhibited. I can handle a life in the shadows for now: it's how I've operated for many years now thanks to my work under my f... ah, the Emperor."

Maz nodded, pretending not to notice the word change for his sake. "I agree with you. You are now free, and don't have to worry about anyone hunting you. That aside... how are you dealing with what happened to you on Coruscant?"

Luke had to look away at that one. "I... I will admit that it's hard to accept that it happened, but I also don't want to live anymore in fear and resentment. I've spent too long doing that. I choose to forgive, and I will move on with my life regardless. As you said, learn from it and move on."

Maz placed a hand to his shoulder. "You are strong, Luke. Has anyone ever told you that?"

Luke managed a slight smile. "Leia did a few times."

"She knew you best, being your twin." Maz noted.

"Yes."

Maz considered, studying him with a critical eye. "So then what will you do now?" She repeated.

Luke again straightened. "I wish to train to be a Jedi Knight. I am tired of hurting people for a living. I want to _help_ the people of the galaxy. I will train in the Light, and I will then work to bring my parents' tyranny to an end."

Maz lifted her chin. "How exactly will you do that?"

"Well, I don't know yet," the young man admitted, "but it will happen."

Maz again studied him, leaning close and gazing into his eyes for so long that Luke wondered what the woman really saw in him. Finally she sat back, returning to business. "You are ready. I will take you to my friend, and he will take your training upon himself. He has been waiting for you."

Luke dipped his head. "I will be his student then, if he will accept me."

Maz shook her head at an odd angle. "Well, that is entirely up to him. You will have to go to him and ask him. All I am doing is getting you there."

Luke accepted her words with a quiet thank you and then shifted the topic. "Maz, can you get me something please?"

Her curiosity piqued, Maz scooted forward. "What is it?"

"I was wondering if you could find me a simple black mask to help hide my face. In the meantime I will use the robe you also gave me. The cowl is deep, and will hide my face, but I don't want to take any chances."

Maz pursed her lips, a hand going to her chin as she considered. "I might know how to get that for you. I will see what I can do."

She rose to leave and Luke spoke once more, hesitantly. "Maz?"

She turned around. "Yes?"

"I may also need a ship of some sort..." Luke felt small suddenly, asking her for so many things. "I can pay for it, but..."

Maz hummed. "That one will be much harder for me to come by, my friend. For now, why don't you see what else you can cook up, huh?"

There was a slight challenge to her tone that gave Luke pause, and he wondered what she meant. A glint of amusement appeared in her eyes and then Maz left him to his thoughts.

 **00000**

Luke, his heavily hooded robe in place, ascended the steps for the first time since his original visit to Maz's cantina. A few heads turned his way but Luke ignored them, his face hidden well enough to protect his identity.

Maz, upon his asking, had told Luke that Mara was indeed still around. She frequently went outside to walk the forest, though she never strayed far enough away to get lost. Luke was a little saddened that in all his days awake, Mara had not once come in to see him.

Not that he could really blame her, he knew. They were practically strangers after all. Still, he'd been hoping for the chance to thank her in person, especially after all she had done for him.

Luke passed through the front doors and took a deep breath of the cool, fresh air outside. A smile graced his lips. There had been a point in his captivity that he'd wished for just one look at something other than his prison walls and the crimson fluids on his floor. He'd longed for freedom, for trees... for fresh air and the peaceful sounds of nature. Occasionally, when he'd been lucid enough to day dream, he'd imagined himself in a forest or on a sea shore.

And now here he was, standing on one of the most beautiful planets Luke had ever seen. The sight brought tears to his eyes, and Luke allowed them free reign for a brief time. Then he wiped them away and stepped into the clearing.

Opening himself to the Force, Luke carefully sought out Mara, whose presence he wasn't entirely familiar with. But how many people would just be out and about in the forest? Most of the patrons who visited here came to the castle and then left.

After some searching, Luke located a female presence some distance away from the castle, and he followed her sense like a siren call.

He took the time as he walked to enjoy the scenery, from the stones and trees to the wildlife he occasionally passed by. Birds were most common, though at one point he spied a large herbivore lumbering by some meters away.

The blue sky was clear as a crystal and Luke loved how rich the color was compared to the city-planet he hailed from. He breathed deeply of the tree scents all around him: some were tangy and sharp while others were more musky or subtle.

Not caring about how long it had been, Luke eventually settled eyes on something that stood out well among all the browns, greys and greens of the woodland.

A flowing shock of red-gold caught his eye and Luke carefully drew closer, not wanting to startle her.

"Mara?" he called tentatively.

She tensed, and her head turned, keen emerald eyes spotting him instantly. When she saw him, she relaxed somewhat, but then looked away.

Stopping a few paces away out of respect, Luke spoke. "May I join you?"

Mara hesitated, and then sighed, gesturing to a spot on a log nearby her own.

Luke's heart lifted somewhat and he took her invitation, settling down and removing his hood. There was no one around to see him except Mara anyway.

"You're looking better." Mara quipped, breaking the silence first.

Luke smiled softly. "I am feeling better, thank you." He eyed her openly, and then continued, his voice showing the depth of his gratitude. "Though I wouldn't even be here had it not been for you."

Mara shifted in place, looking into the distance... but her witty comeback died on her tongue before she could speak it. Finally she settled for a simple answer. "You're welcome."

Luke allowed her some space, enjoying the companionable calm as he took in the view. He'd not realized where exactly they were until just now, and the view was quite dramatic. Not too far away from where they were a sheer drop-off sat, and beyond it was sparkling water, lush forests and even a scattering of small mountains.

And now that he was paying more attention, Luke noted several sunbeams filtering through the canopy overhead. He followed one or two of them with his eyes, enjoying how the green ferns they touched turned a lighter, more vibrant shade of green.

Luke's heart was light by the time he singled out one more random ray and followed it down... to a sight that stole his breath. Blue eyes settled upon the young woman sitting nearby, now haloed in pure sunlight... her red-gold hair glowing as if it were a smoldering fire.

Her skin, a porcelain hue, was like cream, and Luke suddenly wanted to run a hand down her arm... though something told him he'd lose that limb if he did so. Suddenly she turned to regard him, sensing his gaze, and her emerald eyes locked onto his.

Luke swallowed at being caught admiring her, but he didn't hide his awe either. Mara's brow furrowed somewhat, and Luke realized he was unsettling her, so he dropped his gaze with an effort, trying to ground himself in reality once again.

He didn't apologize, however, not wanting to send her mixed signals. But by the stars, Mara was the most _stunning_ girl he'd ever laid eyes on. And thanks to Padmé, he'd seen a lot of them... but none held a candle to Mara's beauty.

"Did you need something other than to thank me?" Mara asked eventually, changing the subject.

Luke shook his head to clear it. "Actually yes. I wondered if I could ask for another favor. I would pay you for this one, of course."

Mara's brow lifted. "I'm listening."

"I need you to bring my sister to me." Luke implored. "Please. We can send her a message to get her away from Coruscant, and then while she's away you can snatch her and bring her here."

Mara considered, eyeing him with a practiced eye. "And what will you do when she's here?"

"Tell her the truth."

Mara frowned. "You trust her?"

"With my life," Luke answered without hesitation. "Leia will not betray me."

Mara put a hand to her chin, considering all the angles before she slowly nodded. "I will not go back to Coruscant, but you get her away from there and I can bring her. But after this I need to return to Karrde. He's going to be mad I was away for so long anyway."

Luke looked to her, and ventured something he'd given a good deal of thought the last few days. "What if you told him you were helping a prospective employee?"

Mara's head turned sharply. "Excuse me?"

Luke didn't back down, keeping his gaze steady on hers. "I would like to speak with Karrde. You offered me a job the first time we met, and I would like to take you up on that... but more of a long-term contract. And with some terms of my own thrown in."

Mara was clearly taken aback, and she straightened. "Are you serious?"

"Yes," Luke answered.

Mara narrowed her eyes and evaluated her companion openly, leaving Luke to wonder how he measured up just then. "Well, I'll take you to meet him, but it's up to Karrde if he accepts you or not. I won't make any promises on his behalf."

Luke inclined his head. "I understand. The opportunity is more than enough at this point."

Mara couldn't contain her curiosity. "Just what _did_ you have in mind, anyway? I mean for your future?"

Luke sighed softly. "Training. I want to be a Jedi, but not in the traditional sense. I need training in the Light side of the Force, and Maz knows someone who can do that. But I also need to not be planet-bound for years. I need to be out and about, learning as I go."

Mara couldn't dismiss that she was intrigued, though his admission on Jedi training had her worried. "You are aware, being the prince and all, that the Jedi are illegal and even hunted like vermin?"

Luke thinned his lips. "No, I hadn't forgotten. But I don't care. I will not just sit by and waste my first _real_ opportunity to be someone. This is my chance to be what _I_ want to be, and not what I am _told_ to be."

He eyed her oddly, head tilted. "You know... you have Force sensitivity too. A strong connection at that."

"No, I will _not_ train." Mara snapped, a little more tartly than she'd intended. "I do not want to be a Jedi."

Luke was a little taken aback at her ferocity, but nor did he take offense. He completely understood. "That's okay. As long as you don't hold my dreams against me... please."

Mara frowned. "Why would I do that?"

Luke mirrored her expression. "Because I'm trying to do something everyone seems convinced is wrong? Because I'm trying to do something that many think is impossible?"

Mara snorted. "Look, your dreams are your own. I may not agree with all your choices, but I am not about to tell you how to live your life. You want to paint a target on your back by learning the Jedi ways? Be my guest. But I don't have to discriminate you for it either."

Luke opened his mouth... then shut it, not quite sure how to take that sentiment. "Um... thank you?"

Mara's lips actually quirked toward a smile, and Luke realized then that he'd just had a glimpse into her personality. This girl was certainly a spitfire... but she also had a good heart, and Luke chuckled, shaking his head.

"I'm going to be teased by you endlessly for this, aren't I?" he asked mildly.

"Probably," Mara admitted, rising. "But let's stop dawdling. We have a princess to help."


	36. Chapter 35

**Chapter Thirty Five:**

Leia stared at the screen, trying and failing to get into the report Padmé had set for her to read. Her parents had left for an extended vacation, though only a select few people knew that. While they were gone, Padmé had set aside some required reading for her daughter to 'keep Leia busy'.

Leia snorted. "More like bore me to tears," she muttered to herself.

Giving up with a heavy sigh, Leia turned off the screen and settled back into her chair, staring at nothing. The truth was, despite her promise to remember Luke by fulfilling her mission, Leia hadn't truly been able to focus since his death.

She supposed she was still in the grieving process and that she would be able to focus again in due course, but for now... Leia felt like she was treading water.

Leia's head lolled lazily to the side, and her gaze happened to fall upon the nighttime view outside her window. As she stared listlessly at the multitude of ships coming and going, an idea came to the princess.

If her parents could take a random trip, why couldn't she?

The more the thought ran laps about her head, the more and more Leia grew to like it. In fact, Leia thought it could be just what she needed to get herself back on track. She needed a break from reality; or rather, an escape from _everything_.

Leia sat upright again and picked up her datapad, opening a map and scrolling about with pursed lips. Where should she go? Where _could_ she go that she'd not be recognized and not have to worry about anyone bothering her?

As she viewed her options, a ping from her datapad alerted her to a new message, and Leia frowned. Who would be contacting her at this hour? It was nearly midnight!

But something in her shivered when the message appeared, and that gave the young woman pause. Warily, Leia shifted to the message and was surprised to find that she had to verify her identity before it would open for her.

Thinking that it could be from the Alliance, Leia perked up a little and did as the message asked by keying in her pass code. The message box disappeared for a second, and then reappeared after verifying her information.

What came up lifted Leia's brow:

 _Borleias; two days from now. Come alone. Meet at the Nocturne. Extremely important!_

 _~MM_

"M-M?" Leia whispered, befuddled, before it hit her. "Oh! Mon Mothma!"

Leia glanced at her window again, and fell into her thoughts briefly. If Mon was contacting her like this then whatever it was had to be big. But what if she wanted to talk about Vader pinning Luke's death on the Rebellion?

Leia swallowed, not knowing if she'd be welcomed back with open arms after this. But she'd sworn to the Alliance to be true, and so she would be. And if Mon needed her, then Leia would do what she could to help.

She would have to persuade Quane to let her go, of course... but Leia knew she could. Sending a coded communiqué to Artoo, Leia asked him to prepare their usual ship for departure.

Then she went to pack a small bag of essentials.

And all the while, the Force seemed to be humming with anticipation.

 **00000**

Mara stood in the shadows of the alleyway nearby the Nocturne, watching and waiting for her quarry. Luke had told her exactly what to expect from Leia, who had training not unlike Mara's but more specific to assassins' work.

Mara was up to the challenge however. Luke hadn't seen all she could do, not by a long shot. And besides, Mara _never_ failed.

It had been two days since she'd received confirmation that Leia had received her message, and Mara was actually impressed by Luke's underhanded usage of Leia's friend to lure his sister into the open.

Mara's teeth showed briefly in a sly grin. That young man had some interesting gall to him, tricking his own twin like this. She held back a chuckle and resumed her scan of the persons walking by.

She glanced at her chrono and noted that it would soon be night, though with the lights of the nearby city, one wouldn't really be able to tell. Borleias' busier parts of town were not unlike Coruscant in the way they advertised.

Personally Mara thought it was overkill, but who was she to judge?

Movement at the far end of the street caught Mara's eye, and she straightened, sensing that her target had finally arrived. What she hadn't been counting on was for the princess to be accompanied by a squat little astromech droid.

Mara thinned her lips, but then shrugged her shoulders. She would take care of the droid too, then. Relishing the challenge, Mara unclipped one weapon and one tool.

Taking aim with the tool, Mara targeted the droid first... and shot the small electric charge onto the back of the droid's domed head as it spun to take in the sights.

The thing paused, clearly feeling the thing attach. Mara didn't immediately set off her charge, however, needing to wait and lure the droid into her alleyway.

With her first target secured, Mara turned her attention to the princess, who seemed suddenly wary, as if she sensed something wasn't right. As Leia's eyes scanned the area, Mara stepped deeper into the shadows, her completely black attire blending in perfectly.

Mara saw the older girl's gaze settle momentarily upon the alley Mara occupied, but then pass by. Mara breathed a silent sigh of relief when Leia continued on... moving closer to the jump point.

Mara watched, keeping her head level and her emotions strictly in check. The red head allowed the other girl to move by, and then she stepped out, a rag in hand, and jumped the young woman.

Leia sensed the attack and spun away, lifting a hand as if to push Mara. There was a surge of power, and Mara was suddenly several inches back.

Surprised, but then cursing herself for forgetting Luke's warning about Leia's Force abilities, Mara remained where she was, lifted a specialize blaster and taking a shot at the brunette.

Leia leapt aside, but Mara was ready for that, and she had already shot where she knew Leia would go. Purple rings— a more concentrated stun blast than normal blasters had— enveloped the princess and the girl cried out before going down.

Mara grinned, hearing the droid companion screeching angrily. Mara ignored him for the moment and, counting on the drunkards that were around not caring— most were only concerned about themselves— Mara grabbed Leia's ankles and dragged her into the alley. And indeed, no one moved to stop her, though some did pick up their pace to get away.

She heard the droid still following, and Mara hoisted Leia into her hoversled, turning with a bored expression as the astromech caught up. Not wanting to carry the heavy droid, Mara waited until it was close enough to strike— and indeed it had an arc welding arm out— before she activated the electric charge that instantly engulfed the droid with a static burst. It was a small dose of electricity, one that would stun the droid without frying its circuits.

And Mara watched with a satisfied smirk as the thing straightened and fell flat on its face.

After some heavy lifting Mara got the thing in place next to Leia, praying that the droid didn't roll and crush the girl in transit. Finally, she covered the duo with a black sheet and began to steer her sled along back streets and side roads that would take her to her ship.

Once her targets were both secured, Mara lifted the _Jade's Fire_ from the deck and pulled for open space.

 **00000**

Leia was furious. _And_ she had a pounding headache. She didn't know what that specialized stun blast had done, but it hurt afterwards.

She looked up when her captor appeared with a somewhat sympathetic look on her face. "Here, take these, it'll help with the headache."

Leia glared at the other as she placed a plastic cup and two painkillers on the table at Leia's side. The princess was chained at the ankles to the leg of the booth on which she sat.

"What do you want with me? Are you here to take advantage of me since my brother's gone?" Leia snapped.

The red head lifted a brow, snorting before she turned to leave. "So instead of trying to figure out just _how_ I knew you were there to begin with, you're going to yell at me for kidnapping you?"

Leia opened her mouth to retort, but was cut off by the other. "We're almost there, so stay strapped in."

"Almost _where_?" Leia shouted after her, but she was ignored.

Leia huffed, folding her arms across her chest in anger before the other's words sank in fully. How _had_ she known Leia would be there? Had she somehow intercepted the message? Or had someone in the Alliance sold her out in payment for what her parents had done to them?

That thought stung Leia, and she swallowed with difficulty. But something about that didn't fit, so she dismissed it with an effort. Her head throbbed again and she looked to the offered relief.

Sighing, Leia gave in and took the medicine, praying it worked fast. She felt the ship shudder as it no doubt came out of hyperspace and then descended into a planet's atmosphere. Leia looked to her left, where Artoo was still powered down. Leia saw the scorch marks left behind by what had to be an electric charge, and she cursed the red head.

When the ship settled to a gentle landing, Leia stiffened. She was only mildly surprised to see a blaster in the other's hand as she approached again.

"Try anything and you'll get stunned again. And I guarantee a second blast will worsen the headache to something not even pain killers will help." The teen's green eyes narrowed in warning.

Leia glared venomously. "Where are we?"

"You'll find out. Let's go." The other tossed a key to Leia. "Unchain yourself and walk in front of me."

Leia's brow lifted in surprised. "Unchain myself?" That was wholly unorthodox for someone who as supposed to be kidnapping her.

The other placed a hand to her hip. "Would you rather walk in leg-shackles or retain a level of dignity, _Princess_?"

Leia's lips thinned at the implied insult, but she held her head high regardless and unlocked her restraints. "What about Artoo?"

"He'll be fine. I didn't damage him; I just stunned him as well." The red head gestured with her blaster. "Let's go."

Leia sighed, sensing the Force telling her to actually trust this girl. Leia was doubtful, but then again, the Force had never steered Leia wrong before. "Alright."

Leia walked to the boarding ramp, surprised to find herself looking at a beautiful planet full of lush forests and an abundance of lakes. Despite herself, she had to pause to take it all in, whistling under her breath at the marvelous beauty.

"Where are we again?" Leia asked without any ire this time.

The red head looked to her, and then joined her in gazing at the scenery. Leia was surprised to see the girl's face actually soften a touch. "Takodana."

Leia felt understanding dawn. She'd heard of this planet briefly, in a classroom, but nothing special had been said about it, only that it was a place of beauty. Leia couldn't agree more.

"Let's go," the red head said, gesturing with her blaster again.

Leia turned in the indicated direction, walking along a semi-trodden path. But when she saw a large castle appear, she started moving for the entrance.

"Not that way."

Leia frowned. "What?"

"Keep going south," was the cryptic reply.

Leia eyed the other, but decided to obey. She really _didn't_ want a second dose of that stun blast. The red head herded Leia to the back end of the castle, well away from any prying eyes. Leia began to worry that the red head was trying to kill her out of view, and she began resisting again.

"If you're going to kill me, then do it to my face!" Leia snapped.

The other girl's flash of annoyance hit Leia alike a shockwave. "Princess, if I'd wanted to kill you, I would have done so on Borleias. Now shut up and _walk!_ "

Leia glared ahead. "Walk _where_? There's nothing here but stone walls!"

Another snort. "You're so observant. I'm _of course_ leading you to a dead end after all the work I've gone through to get you here."

The red head walked ahead of Leia, but the brunette had no doubts the other was ready for anything Leia would try. Leia actually blinked in shock when the younger teenager activated a hidden doorway right in front of Leia.

More doubts began to circulate in Leia's mind. What captor allowed their prisoner to see where they were being taken to? Especially a hidden entrance?

What was really going on here?

"In." The red head ordered, gesturing with her weapon.

"What is this place, and who are you?" Leia asked, gingerly stepping forward.

"You will soon see," the other answered, and for once there wasn't any irritation in the redhead's tone. "Come on."

Leia was led through a darkened storage room and into a hallway that was dark and gloomy looking. But only because it was obviously underground, Leia noted as they moved. She was then guided left and deeper into the bowels of the castle, and to another hidden doorway.

Leia miss-stepped when black curtains were parted to admit Leia into a suddenly well-lit and highly cleaned hallway. She stared in surprise for long seconds, glancing back at the red head before she got an encouraging nod.

The Force hummed with greater intensity, and Leia finally stepped through. The red head followed and then opened a door for Leia on the right hand side.

"You're welcome," the red head muttered before she left completely... and Leia's mouth dropped open.

"Where are you going?" Leia asked her retreating back, utterly confused.

But she was given no answer, and when the curtains closed behind the red head, Leia couldn't believe what she'd just witnessed. She realized at some point that her mouth hung ajar, and with an effort Leia closed it, turning to gaze at the open door she was obviously meant to go through.

The Force seemed to be beckoning to her, and Leia hesitated, pondering her next move.

Finally Leia walked forward, shaking her head as she entered the room, figuring she'd come this far, and might as well find out what this was all about. Still she couldn't help but wonder aloud, "What in space is going..."

She stopped with a little shriek when her eyes landed on someone standing on the other side of the room, his hands clasped nervously before him while his sky-blue eyes gazed at her with open love.

"Hello Leia," Luke whispered.


	37. Chapter 36

**Chapter Thirty Six:**

"Hello Leia."

She stared, unable to formulate words, and Luke worried at his lip, waiting in unbearable silence for his sister to say something. Anything at this point would do.

Luke finally could take the silence no longer, and opened his mouth to speak once more when Leia abruptly collapsed.

"Leia!" Luke cried, leaping forward to catch her before she could strike her head on the ground.

He barely managed it, and Luke carried his limp sister to the couch, where he carefully laid her flat. He left her side briefly to grab a bowl of water and a rag to tend to her forehead with.

When he returned, he knelt at her side and gingerly prepped his rag, placing it to her forehead to try helping wake her up. Guilt churned his stomach at her reaction, but he knew he couldn't do anything about the past.

The minutes clicked by, each gratin gon his nerves to the point where he started to carefully nudge her.

"Leia?" Luke whispered, trying to touch her spirit with his in the Force. "Come on, wake up..."

Leia stirred, and Luke's breath caught while he gazed at her face expectantly.

Leia slowly lifted her eyelids, her mind sluggishly working to reorient itself after her fainting spell. There had been... a red haired young woman... a castle... and then...

Leia's breathing stopped, and she swallowed, waiting for this all to have been a bad dream. But as her vision came into focus, she was unable to miss the blue eyes staring at her from under a shock of dark-golden hair.

For a time she simply stared, part of her unable to accept what was right in front of her before she gave up trying to be ornery, and spoke.

"...Luke?" she whispered tremulously.

He let out a shaky half-laugh and nodded, his eyes bright with sudden moisture. "It's really me, Leia."

Leia lifted a hand, and her brother held patiently still as she used trembling fingertips to touch his face. She first made contact with his cheek, running her fingers along the bone to his temple, up to his forehead, down his nose and then finally touched his chin. All along the way she met with warm, soft flesh, lastly feeling the pulse in his artery before she accepted it.

Her eyes flooded with tears, and Leia abruptly sat up, throwing her arms around Luke's neck. "Oh Luke!"

She sobbed into his shoulder, and he held her tightly, weeping openly into her brown tresses. "...Leia, oh Leia." He choked. "I've missed you so much!"

Leia hiccupped a sob. " _Y_ - _you_ have missed _me_?" She challenged half-heartedly.

Luke cracked a tiny smile at her words, and only held her tighter. "I'm okay, Leia... I'm okay."

They held to each other for an unknown time, neither one caring about anything else in the galaxy as they simply reveled in their twin bond and the love they shared as siblings.

At some point, and on an unspoken cue, they pulled apart enough for Leia to gaze at his face, and she placed a chaste kiss to her brother's cheek. Luke smiled gratefully and tugged her up.

He sat beside his sister on the couch and offered Leia a glass of water and a tissue.

"Thank you," she murmured as she accepted both. She dabbed at her face before sipping at the cool liquid. Finally, when she was collected enough to speak, Leia looked to him. "What really happened that day?"

Luke looked down somewhat pensively. "I knew Father was going to send me to sublevel twelve, and so I planned my escape with Nella. She was the one who executed it all. She got me all the way to the battle in space before the ship blew." He glanced up at her. "This is what Nella told me, mind you, as I was unconscious after her fight with the sentinel droids down below."

Leia nodded her understanding, though she had no clue who Nella was except for a remembered snippet of conversation from her brief time with Luke in the dungeons. Seeing her gesture, Luke continued. "Anyway, she thought we were goners. And we would have been, but Nella managed to just barely seal my flight suit and helmet to give me a slim chance of surviving in the hard vacuum of space. But then Mara arrived, snatched us up and we were on our way here."

He saw Leia's frown at the name. "Who's Mara?"

Luke smiled somewhat. "Mara Jade is the one that brought you to me."

Leia's mouth opened... and then shut again as she tried to think of just how she felt about all that now that she knew why it had happened.

Seeing her reaction, Luke's smile widened unexpectedly. "Yeah, Mara can be a bit much for those who don't see past her shields, but she's really a good person at heart."

Leia's eyebrows lifted in surprise, though she managed to turn the expression into something teasing. Luke blushed faintly, changing the subject. "Anyway, Mara and Nella brought me to Maz, and she healed me."

Leia glanced around. "Maz owns this place?"

"Maz Kanata, and yes. She... she understands the Force, Leia," Luke told her, drawing his sister's chocolate gaze back to his own. "She also knows someone who can train me in the Light Side of the Force."

Leia studied her brother silently for a time, processing. "You want to be a Jedi?"

Luke straightened. "I do."

Leia pursed her lips, contemplating further before she smiled gently and laid a hand over one of his. "Then train with the... Jedi Master I presume?"

Luke shrugged. "I would assume so, but she won't clarify yet. And... thank you for supporting me."

Leia squeezed the limb of his she already held. "I will do my best to support you in all that I can from now on."

Luke turned his hand in hers. "And I promise the same thing to you. Besides, with my supposed death, I can train and work without fear of being discovered as before. I can stick to the shadows and come into the light when it's time for me to do so."

Leia tilted her head. "What, exactly, will you be training _for_?"

Luke's gaze slid away solemnly, and his voice lowered. "Leia... I love our parents. Despite all their... flaws, they are still our mother and father. But I will no longer sit back and let their tyranny reign unchecked. I will bring an end to it. One way, or another."

Leia heard the quiet conviction in his voice, felt it in the Force and knew her brother was completely serious. And she believed him; believed he could do what he claimed. She lifted his chin, waiting until he looked her in the eye.

"I too have begun that fight. I joined the Alliance as a double agent," Leia informed him. She was immensely grateful when Luke didn't condemn her in any way.

He took her other hand though, and held her gaze intently. "Let's promise each other that we will be as careful as we can be. We know what we are doing is dangerous, but it must be done."

Leia nodded once. "I promise."

He smiled lightly and released her. She was surprised when a small droid appeared, a tray of food on its arm. Luke accepted the food with a word of thanks, and the droid shifted to hover by the wall. Leia eyed it with undisguised interest, noting for the first time it wasn't moving on legs.

"Are you hungry?" Luke asked, interrupting her thoughts and indicating he was ready to share his meal. Leia's stomach betrayed her desire to be polite by growling loudly, and Luke chuckled at her blush. "I think that's a yes. Come on, Maz's cooking is to die for."

Leia only hesitated long enough for Luke to split everything on the plate in two portions and hand her a utensil before she dug in. When the food hit her tongue, Leia's eyes slid closed in delight.

"Stars, you weren't kidding!" Leia took a few more eager bites. "This is _delicious!_ "

Luke smiled knowingly and ate his own meal. "I've been spoiled by her food."

Leia laughed and they ate in companionable silence. When they finished, they also split the dessert, and finally sat back with audible sighs.

Leia returned to eyeing the droid, who watched her in return. Leia frowned at the calm, quiet nature of the thing, and wondered at the craftsmanship required to build such a unique droid.

"That's quite the droid there," Leia murmured, not seeing Luke's expression.

"She is, isn't she?" he seconded with just a hint of pride.

Not truly hearing him, Leia merely went on. "It's not even touching the floor; it's sleek, clean, somehow a touch feminine... it looks like something from a scientist's futuristic wish list."

There was a snicker next to her, and Luke spoke to her again. "Nella has proven to be quite handy, and utterly loyal."

Finally his words started sinking in, and Leia whipped her head around, mouth gaping open of its own accord. " _That_ is Nella?!"

Luke smiled openly. "Yes. This is Nella. I made her while I was away with Han and Chewie."

Leia didn't know who those two were either, but she shouldn't have been surprised. Her brother seemed to have picked up a rather odd assortment of acquaintances in his time apart from the Vaders.

"Skywalkers," Luke whispered, hearing her thought and answering it almost without thinking.

Leia's startled gaze met his, and she tilted her head. "Where did you hear that name?"

Luke hesitated briefly. "From Grandmother Shmi."

Leia sucked in a breath. "You saw her too?"

Luke shifted, his face lightening with hope. He had been sure she would think him loony. "She appeared to you? I saw her when I was on Vestar!"

Leia couldn't help but grin in return, though it was a little bittersweet. "Yes. She told me who I really am, and I've taken up that name in secret."

"As have I," Luke whispered, taking her hand again. "Luke and Leia Skywalker. That is who we were always meant to be, Leia."

His twin nodded. "Yes. But for appearances sake, I need to retain the Vader identity."

Luke indicated his understanding. "That's smart."

They released each other again and Luke motioned Nella forward for his sister to get a better look. "Nella, this is Leia, my twin sister."

Nella bowed her domed head. "Forgive me making so much trouble for you, Mistress Leia, but I was under orders."

Leia waved away her words. "No, you did the right thing. And now I know why we found no footprints anywhere. You never touched the ground."

Nella hummed in pleasure. "No I did not."

"I must say you pulled off a pretty impressive feat." Leia paused, and then smiled slyly. "And I'd say Artoo likes you."

Nella didn't seem to know how to take that, and the twins laughed gently. Luke took pity on his mechanical friend and patted her shoulder."Leia is just teasing you Nella."

"Oh."

Leia straightened suddenly. "Wait, what _about_ Artoo? He's still on Mara's ship."

At that moment a loud series of indignant beeps was heard as the same redhead that had brought Leia inside ushered a blue and silver astromech droid into the room. It was clear from the look on Mara's face that she was at the end of her patience with the astromech and so she barely managed a civil word when the thing rolled in.

"You can keep this thing for all I care," Mara bit out to Leia, and she promptly walked out, muttering under her breath.

"Artoo!" Leia leapt to her feet and went to the droid. "Are you alright?"

Artoo tweedled at her and she read his datapad translator. _I am fine, but that charge disoriented my circuits somewhat. And she's not a very nice woman._

Luke shook his head. "She is, Artoo, you just need to get to know her a little more."

Artoo did a comical double-take, and Luke grinned happily, coming forward to lay a hand on his domed head.

 _DOOEEPP!_ Artoo squealed joyfully, rolling up and repeatedly bumping himself into Luke's legs.

"Hey now!" Luke complained with a laugh after a few times. "I'm excited to see you too, but that's enough!"

Artoo blatted flatly and zapped Luke in the thigh with his arc welder.

"OW!" Luke cried, though the jolt had been very light. " _Artoo!_ What was that for?!"

Artoo shook an arm appendage at his master. _That was for making Mistress Leia and me thing you were_ dead _all this time!_

Luke sighed while Leia took her turn to laugh, but he understood this was Artoo's way of saying he'd missed Luke immensely. Shaking his head at the quirky droid, Luke returned to the couch. Artoo took notice of Nella then, and Luke's amusement raised a notch when the astromech started to chatter with her.

As the moments passed, Leia returned to sit by Luke, noting when the droids left the room.

She eyed Luke, who seemed suddenly somber, his thoughts turning inward. "Hey, are you _really_ alright?" she asked him, worried. "I mean, with all that... happened to you..."

Luke didn't answer immediately, instead fidgeting with his fingers. But eventually he sighed. "Yes... and no. I told the others I'm basically over it... but that was a little bit of a lie. I had plenty of time while down there to come to terms with it, but the fact that it happened at all bothers me. And of course I have all the memories... and sometimes I wake at night thinking I'm still there... I have phantom pains and such at times, and I have to remind myself that it's just in my head now..."

Luke trailed off, and his shoulders slouched. "How am I even supposed to deal with this? I want to just forget it, and I have."

"Then what's wrong?" Leia asked, cringing at how insensitive that sounded, even as she was a little confused at his logic.

Luke looked up at her. "I've been dealing with it completely on my own, that's the problem. Maz and Mara are great, but not exactly the type I'd feel comfortable breaking down in front of like that. Yet." He looked away, his eyes wet again and already leaking tears. "I've had no one to mourn with, no one's shoulder to cry on... I've been so lonely... so alone with only the memories for company. I... I haven't had the chance to _properly_ mourn it all."

His shoulders were beginning to quiver, and Leia's heart went out to him. She wrapped an arm around him and pulled him tenderly to her side.

"You're not alone anymore," she told him. "Let it out Luke. I'm here now."

He hesitated, but Leia held firm, bringing his head to her shoulder and offering herself as comfort. Finally his walls shattered, and Luke turned fully into her, wrapping his arms needfully about his sister and sobbing out his heartache.

His entire body shook with each sob, and Leia's shirt was completely soaked in the place his head was located, but she didn't care. She held him through it all, rocking him slightly every now and then as a reminder she was there.

He cried until he couldn't any more, the minutes ticking by unnoticed, and it wasn't until he'd deteriorated into ragged breathing only that she realized he'd stopped crying.

It took several more minutes for him to compose himself enough to breath normally again, though Leia soothed him without question until he pulled away. He placed a chaste kiss to her forehead before he pulled back completely.

"Thank you, Leia." His voice was slightly ragged, but Leia noted a marked difference in him now that he had truly wept his pain away. Maybe not entirely away— it may never truly leave him— but he was lighter now, better off.

"Any time, brother," Leia murmured, a gentle smile on her lips.

 **00000**

Light-years away, on a tiny, paradise world that was off limits to all but the Emperor and Empress, Padmé stood before the huge array of windows. They were completely alone on the planet, their guards in orbit outside of a planetary shield that was only able to be opened by a select few persons. Thus she could wear whatever she wanted without the hired help seeing too much of her.

It was just she and Vader.

So it was that she stood in nothing more than a skimpy piece of lingerie that left very little to the imagination. She was on vacation, and had taken— and still did take— great pleasure in teasing her husband unendingly by wearing an assortment of lingerie that revealed her feminine physique in unique and playful ways.

And she knew her husband loved it, because much of their time had been spent in each others' arms.

Padmé now stood and watched the suns set upon another day: only this time, she felt _different_. She and Vader hadn't just been fooling around as others might have called it.

No, they had been actively pursuing their goal of raising a new heir to the Vader throne.

And finally... Padmé could sense, somehow, that their work had paid off. She rested a hand on her abdomen, checked the chrono and returned to the refresher, where her pregnancy test waited for her to read it.

She'd taken it moments earlier, after her suspicions had been raised by a few things, and now she stood staring at the answer.

A smile crept its way up her face without abandon, and Padmé laughed openly for a few seconds before she turned to find her dozing husband and inform him of the good news.

The Vaders' hold on the galaxy would indeed continue.


	38. Chapter 37

**Chapter Thirty-Seven:**

Leia hugged Luke one final time as they both stood at the base of the stairway that led up into the heart of Maz's cantina. They, along with Mara, Maz and Nella, had agreed upon an overall plan; what everyone would be doing and how to keep in touch with each other in a secure way.

The most pressing thing, of course, was the continued secrecy that Luke was, in fact, alive. The loss of that important detail would unravel everything, and the chances of freeing the galaxy from the tyrannical Vader couple would be nigh impossible, even for their twin children.

Leia would continue to play the double agent, feeding information to the Alliance as often as she was able to, while also going on missions for the Emperor. However, whenever Leia was sent to kill someone, if the person was in fact innocent the princess would do all she could to fake their death. They would instead be relocated until it was safe for the intended victim to reemerge.

Which would be after the Vaders had been dealt with.

Maz had kindly supplied the group with the perfect planet to hide them on, one at the farthest reaches of the known galaxy that almost no one cared about: Senka. It was a simple planet with a native species that believed in helping anyone they could. Because it had no true value in the way of goods being produced for the benefit of the galaxy, it was ignored almost entirely.

Luke held his sister openly, wondering how long it would be before they saw each other again. He would be— hopefully— training to be a Jedi, and if all went well, he'd be learning while being mobile while keeping his true identity hidden from anyone he didn't trust implicitly. And Leia had life to live too; her own mission to perform.

"I love you Leia," Luke murmured.

"I love you too, Brother." Leia pulled away and kissed his cheek. "Be safe."

"You too," Luke said seriously. "Your task will be far more dangerous."

Leia smiled wryly. "I wouldn't know about that." Her gaze travelled to the somewhat impatient redhead standing a respectful distance away. "You'll be working with Mara: that seems equally frightening."

Luke chuckled, sensing the intended joke. Leia had taken the time to get to know Mara a little more in the days she'd stayed on Takodana, and Luke knew his sister respected and even liked the other girl.

"Go on." Luke reprimanded gently.

"Take care of him, Nella," Leia called over her shoulder as she walked away.

Luke stayed where he was for a moment, Nella hovering nearby, and then sighed softly when he felt Leia's presence fade with distance. Eventually he turned, gesturing to the back entrance. "Shall we?"

Mara nodded once and began walking.

"Luke," Maz's voice said from behind him as he made to follow.

Luke paused, turning to the petite woman. "Yes Maz?"

She handed him a small satchel. "Take this. It's a gift that will help you along the way. And if you need a place to lie low, you are always welcome here. You know how to get in."

Luke smiled warmly and took the bag. "I can't thank you enough, Maz. For everything."

She waved away his thanks. "You can do that by fulfilling your destiny. Now go. I already gave you the location of my friend."

Luke gave a small salute and jogged to catch up to Mara, who was already walking down the second flight of steps in Maz's basement. "How far away is Karrde?"

Mara glanced his way. "I don't know; I'll have to contact him when we get in the air."

Luke nodded, falling into step beside her and opening the door for her when they got to it. Mara led the way to her ship once the door was sealed again, and as they boarded she gestured aft. "The guest cabin is the second door on the left side of the corridor. Pick a bunk and meet me in the cockpit."

Without awaiting a response, Mara left him standing there, closing the hatch on her way to pilot the ship.

Luke watched her go, contemplating the immediate future and hoping Mara would be more a part of his long-time future, not just until he left for Jedi-training. He really liked her, and wanted to get to know her much better.

When he felt the ship shudder and lift from the ground, he shook himself from his daze and found the indicated room. He went with the bottom bunk and tossed his gear upon it for now, moving to join Mara as requested.

When he arrived, they were already clearing the atmosphere, and Mara was speaking with a man over the communications array. "Trust me, I think you'll like this guy," Mara was saying as she eyed him upon his entrance. "He's got an intriguing offer for you."

There was a pause, and then the man's voice spoke again. "I am sending you a rendezvous. Meet us there."

"Will do, Jade out." Mara signed off and continued to pilot. "Strap in for the jump to lightspeed," she told him.

Luke did so and shortly afterwards Mara pulled the hyperspace levers.

 **00000**

Luke took in the battered hull of the freighter they were drawing near, and as he did so, he noted a few areas that looked as if they could be hiding weaponry. Drawing his gaze away from the vessel, Luke glanced at the redhead beside him. Mara had told him about the man she was bringing him to meet, and Luke had to admit he was more than a little interested to meet this guy.

"What's the name of his ship?" Luke inquired, openly curious.

"The _Wild Karrde_ ," Mara replied. With utter skill, his companion landed the _Jade's Fire_ without so much as a bump. Once she had the cool-off sequence completed, the redhead rose from the pilot's seat. "Let's go."

Luke already had his things, and his cloak was once again in place, hood drawn to conceal his face. He and Nella followed Mara without qualms, keeping pace easily. Luke made a mental layout of the vessel as they traversed its corridors, noting the eyes that stared at his hooded form with various emotions ranging from curious to distrust of the stranger. Nella got some open-mouthed stares, which stoked a small amount of satisfaction from Luke: it was nice to know his craftsmanship was appreciated.

However, Luke noticed that all of the stares Mara received were filled with respect, and he knew she was prominent not just in the organization, but also among the crew.

Mara led the young man and his droid to an office, and once they had entered, Mara approached the figure seated at the desk without hesitation. Upon seeing who was there, the older gentleman rose with what Luke could only describe as a fatherly expression.

"Mara, it's so good to see you're alright." The man had a somewhat soothing voice. Luke stayed by the door while the pair before him reunited first; also awaiting permission to approach. The head of the Smuggler's Alliance had black hair that fell to his shoulders, while among the dark strands were a few small streaks of grey that made him look distinguished. His goatee and mustache were well-groomed, with his clothes looking durable and neat.

"I'm sorry to have left like that. I... had to answer a distress signal of sorts," Mara replied, glancing at Luke's shrouded form pointedly.

The man's ice-blue gaze followed Mara's, his curiosity wafting over Luke in the Force. "I see. Well then, why don't you introduce the young man you told me of."

Wondering just how much Mara had said in her communiqué upon their departure of Takodana, Luke walked forward when Mara gestured for him to do so.

"I'll let him give you his name," Mara told her boss, unknowingly answering Luke's question.

The man extended a hand. "Talon Karrde; head of the Smuggler's Alliance."

Luke took the hand firmly. "Thank you for seeing me."

"Of course. Mara said it would be worth it," Karrde replied, eying the other, "though it would be nice to know who I am dealing with."

Luke inclined his head. "In time, I promise."

That garnered a lifted brow from Talon, as well as a pointed look at his associate, who indicated patience. Karrde sat again, gesturing for his guest to do likewise. "I will listen to what you have to say because I trust Mara."

Luke's lips lifted even though the other couldn't see the soft smile. _Probably a good thing_ , Luke reflected momentarily.

"I was told by Mara that you are in search of help, and so I have a proposition for you." Luke began.

Karrde splayed his hands. "That is true, I am. What is it you have to offer me?"

"A conditional spot among your crew," Luke answered. "I need a few things, and in return, I would be willing to help with supply runs."

Karrde leaned back in his flow-form chair, chewing on his bottom lip for a moment as he considered. "Go on," he said after a moment.

"I need a ship I can use freely, I must be able to come and go as I need to, I'll require some basic life-supporting supplies... and a promise that you will not betray my identity." Luke was deadly serious at the end, something Karrde didn't miss.

"What do you need these things for?"

Luke glanced at the young woman who was now leaning against the wall. Mara had told Luke that Karrde was trustworthy and loyal, especially to his crew. "I will be undergoing Jedi training."

Talon was unable to hide his look of surprise. "I beg your pardon?"

Luke sat forward. "I already have training in the Force, but not from the Jedi. That will change."

The man across the desk frowned. "Surely you are aware this is a death-sentence for you?" he asked incredulously.

Luke snorted softly. "So I've been told. Do we have an agreement?"

Talon continued to stare, but when Luke did not wilt before him or rescind his statement in any way, he eventually turned back to the conversation. "Not yet. I will not agree to anything if I don't have an identity from the one asking."

Luke nodded. "Only with your promise of secrecy: this cannot be stressed enough."

Karrde thinned his lips, but waved one hand in surrender. "You have my word."

Luke gauged the man's sincerity in the Force, and then carefully removed his hood, gazing upon the man and awaiting his reaction.

He didn't disappoint. Talon's expression went through a myriad of changes before it finally settled on shocked. "How is this possible? You are dead; the entire galaxy saw your funeral."

Luke withheld a small sigh. "I _am_ dead, technically, and it needs to stay that way. My death was faked, however. Mara," Luke gestured to her, "helped my droid Nella get me off Coruscant after my parents had me... tortured."

The pain he still felt over that deep down leaked into his tone, but Luke cleared his throat and continued. "I was healed and now my sister and I have plans to change the governing rule in the galaxy."

Karrde lifted a brow. "Change it how?"

Luke met his gaze. "My parents will never return to good, so they need to be... dethroned. I do hope I can find a non-lethal way, but if it comes to that, I will do what I must."

"By training as a Jedi?" Karrde was still dubious on that.

"I need this instruction if I am to have any chance against my father," Luke said gravely. "He is very strong in the Force, a master of its use _and_ the lightsaber also, since he is older, he is obviously more experienced. I am not ready to take him on in a duel to the death. So yes: by training as a Jedi."

Karrde studied the young man before him intently, his mind clearly at work as he processed everything. Luke was beginning to find it difficult to read the man physically now that the initial surprise was over, and he felt his growing opinion of Talon rise a few notches.

There was silence for a long time, during which Luke didn't fidget or press the man. Finally, after what could have been an eternity, Talon sighed and nodded slowly.

"Alright. I accept all of your terms. You will do runs for me, and I will let you know when I need you to. I will supply you with everything you need and all the information you will have to catch up on." Karrde lifted a finger. "Though I do have one question: who is it that will be teaching you the Jedi ways?"

Luke shook his head. "I don't know his name yet, but I do have a location. And for his safety, I would like to hold that information for now. I'm sure you understand."

"I do." Talon smirked briefly. "Very well, Mara will set you up with everything. You may go find your... teacher, and once that is established, return to the _Wild Karrde_ for your first run."

Luke blew out a silent breath. "Thank you Sir."

* * *

 **( A/N:** _I am sorry for dropping off the face of the earth. I was expecting my youngest child, and then there were other health concerns, so yeah. Anyway, with school back in session for my kids (yay for me!) I will now have more time to write. For those who came back to read this, thank you so much, and again, I'm really sorry for being so inactive. God bless!_ **)**


	39. Chapter 38

**Chapter Thirty Eight:**

Luke looked over the vessel that sat before him in the hangar bay. It was clear the small ship wasn't used very frequently, judging by the amount of... junk that had been piled about it. But Karrde and his best mechanic had assured Luke that the vessel ran just fine, it was just too small to be of much use to them right now.

So it sat mostly unused but well-maintained. Apparently Talon didn't like having useless vehicles taking up space on his the _Wild Karrde_. It was put to use because Karrde had won it in a game of sabacc.

That brought to memory a certain smuggler who'd been so kind to Luke; and one Luke intended to take care of in return.

He'd already spoken with Talon of his idea.

" _I don't think that is a wise course of action right now," Karrde said once Luke had given him all the pertinent information._

" _Why not?" Luke asked, a little put out._

" _Because Jabba is no fool. And his palace has eyes everywhere, and I do mean everywhere. I don't think there is any safe place within those walls." Karrde allowed his disgust for the Hutt to show momentarily. "There would be far too many opportunities for someone to either recognize you, or put the dots together and report it for a substantial reward."_

 _Luke felt his indignation pique a little. "I am a trained assassin; I can get in and out of any place."_

" _Well unless you intend to purchase Han's freedom in another way, you wouldn't do it." Karrde shot back. "Think about it: a young human male with the purse and possessions to barter with that only a prince would have... seeking to pay the debt of the very smuggler who helped a runaway prince gain some freedom and perspective. All of this only weeks after Prince Vader had supposedly died."_

 _Luke deflated, embarrassed by his ego. "You're right," he admitted, though he didn't like the thought of keeping Han in the dark anymore. Luke sighed, rubbing the back of his neck, a habit he seemed to have picked up off of Solo. The thought made Luke snort to himself. "Forgive my pride."_

 _Karrde waved away the apology. "I understand the desire to return a favor done. It's never wise to owe a debt to anyone. But I suggest waiting a few months. If Solo can hold out this long, I think he'll be fine. He's got a tougher hide than a dewback."_

 _Luke snickered. "Yeah. Thanks for the kick in the pants."_

 _Karrde's amusement showed. "Anytime."_

Beside him, Mara looked upon the vessel also. "She may be small, but she runs well. I've taken the _Pilgrim_ out a few times. But Karrde occasionally uses it for planet hops to and from the _Wild Karrde_ to keep it from getting rusty."

"The _Pilgrim_?" Luke smiled softly under his hood. "She's perfect."

Mara spared him a sideways glance. "It's also an antique."

Luke nodded, unfazed. "Yes. It's an old Nabooian skiff, a model used before my mother's time as Queen there."

Indeed the ship had the smooth, sleek lines typical of Nabooian architecture, although the normally shiny silver hull had been dulled down to a matte grey. Luke supposed it had come that way from its previous owner. But the matte finish would suit Luke's needs better, since it would afford him a lower profile when he was travelling.

The pair of them entered the ship, with Mara showing him the code and then the interior. Luke liked the earthy tones of the inside, and noted how comfortable all the upholstery looked. If it was anything like his mother's private ship, Luke knew the furniture would indeed be luxurious. Luke tuned back in to his companion when she began to speak.

"Cabin, refresher, galley and a small lounge are in the rear, and the cockpit is up front." Mara gestured in turn to each thing mentioned. "Nella can plug in behind the copilot's chair."

The droid hummed happily and wasted no time in doing just that, to Luke's mild amusement. The humans followed, with Luke removing his hood now that they were out of public view. Luke sat in the pilot's couch upon his noticing it, reveling in the form-flow feature. Mara's amusement reached him in the Force, but Luke didn't allow himself to be embarrassed. He gave himself another moment before he took his time studying the layout of the controls.

Once he had it all down, Luke turned to Mara. "Thank you for your help. I couldn't have done this without you."

Mara shifted. "Whatever you say."

Luke frowned. "Do I make you uncomfortable?" he asked quietly.

Mara didn't answer immediately. In fact, she was silent for so long Luke was sure she was ignoring him. But then she spoke in an equal tone. "I don't really know yet."

Luke didn't quite know how to take that, but he ventured an answer anyway. "Well, I'm sorry if I do. The last thing I want is for you to feel unsafe with me," he hesitated for a heartbeat, then went on in a whisper, "emotionally or otherwise."

Again a round of stillness, though Luke could feel a storm of emotion surging through Mara. He fully expected the feisty, independent young lady to snap at him or storm off, and instinctively he tensed in readiness for her to shoot him down.

But to his relief and even surprise, Mara did neither. "It's too early for me to know what I feel around you right now." Her tone was intriguingly gentle. "I am not the kind to just jump into a relationship without getting to know the other party first."

Luke nodded. "I understand that, and I fully support your choice."

Mara offered a grateful look and then pursed her lips as if something had just occurred to her. "You know, you never did tell Karrde what name you'd be travelling under."

Luke blinked, realizing the same thing. "Oh. Right... I guess that would be useful information."

Mara quirked an eyebrow his way. "So, what'll it be? 'Cause I'm not about to call you Majesty or Prince."

Luke took no offense as he considered. "Well, I can't really use Velius anymore, since that was me while hiding from my father."

Mara grinned unrepentantly. "Yeah, and I suppose 'Luke Vader' is out of the question too eh?"

Luke chuckled. "I suppose so."

They shared another laugh, which had Luke wondering at the redhead beside him. So far she'd been mostly aloof, though she'd had her more tender moments. But this side of her was new to him, and it was utterly alluring.

And her laugh... that smile... the way it lit up her emerald eyes warmed his heart in a way he'd never before experienced. Luke swallowed discreetly and took a breath, calming himself so he didn't do anything to upset her.

But something built in him, a desire to show Mara the same level of trust she'd once shown him in a cantina.

"And actually it's Skywalker," he murmured, lifting his blue gaze to meet her eyes.

She looked at him oddly and then snorted, clearly thinking he was still joking. "Really? That's the name you're going with? Why not go with something a little more conspicuous like Houndhammer, or better yet _Airbender_?"

Luke didn't laugh with her this time. "It's my true ancestry, and one I refuse to be ashamed of."

She took the hint at his hurt tone, sobering. "Ah. I..." she coughed into her fist. "Sorry."

Luke placed a hand over top of hers. "It's alright. It's not a very common name, and not well known. My father used to be Skywalker, but he took on Vader for some reason."

Comprehension dawned, and Mara blinked. "As in Anakin Skywalker? The Hero With No Fear?"

Luke did snicker this time. "He always hated that title, you know. But yes."

Mara was flabbergasted. "Stars... what happened to him? He went from most-loved Jedi in the Clone Wars to all around jerk ruling the galaxy."

Luke sighed. "I wish I knew. Maybe if I did I could... help him find his way back to the Light."

Mara twisted her lips downward, retracting her hand. "No offense, but I don't think that's happening."

Luke knew in his heart of hearts that she was right but still... "I can hope, can't I?"

She rolled her eyes, though there was no true ire in her comment. "Only an optimist like you would."

Luke was saddened. Despite the harsh treatment by his father, Luke still loved the man.

In an effort to steer the conversation elsewhere, Luke smiled softly. "My grandmother, on the other hand, is an amazing woman." Remembering the woman was deceased, Luke amended his statement. "Well, she was."

Mara lifted an interested eyebrow. "What was her name? No one ever knew Anakin's origins."

"Shmi Skywalker," Luke answered.

Mara pursed her lips, noting the singular distinction from earlier. "No grandfather?"

Luke shook his head. "No. I don't know how Shmi came to be pregnant, and neither does my father, just that somehow he came to be."

Mara opened her mouth, and then closed it, possibly sensing his sincerity. "Well, the galaxy can be a mysterious place."

Luke was appreciative of her acceptance. "However, I still need a name to be known by when I have to make contact. And when I do, I can change my appearance so I don't need the hood."

Mara sat back, losing herself to her thoughts for a time as they sat in companionable silence. "What about Jirik? I knew someone honorable by that name before Karrde took me in. I think it would suit you."

Luke brightened. "I actually like that a lot. Jirik it is then. Would you pass that along?"

Mara dipped her head, "yeah."

"Thank you."

She sat a moment longer before her practical side kicked in. Rising, Mara dusted invisible lint from her pants. "Well, have a nice trip. I'll see you when you return. Karrde plans to have us working together for a while until you learn the ropes."

Luke didn't hide his happiness. "That sounds great." Mara looked as if she were about to retort, but Luke cut her off. "You're a good friend, Mara."

She seemed caught off guard by his declaration of friendship, but then smiled faintly, patting his shoulder. "See you around."

She left before he could respond, and Luke waited with a lighter air about him until she was a safe distance away to start up the engines. Once the _Pilgrim_ was warmed up, Luke took her from the hangar and into space, glancing at Nella.

"Set course for Dagobah." He instructed.

Nella did so, and once they were in hyperspace she ventured a thought. "You and Miss Mara seem to be doing well together. Is it normal for a man's energy levels to increase around a woman?"

Luke blushed somewhat. "Ah, when a certain woman captures his attention like no other female... yes. But that's a good thing. It's called attraction."

"Oh." Nella considered that. "So you must really like Mara?"

Luke smiled warmly. "Yes, Nella, I really do."

 **00000**

Leia sat her bag down upon the bed in her room, sighing after the long trip back to Coruscant. She was coming to grips with the task she had given herself of playing both a double agent and now a sister whose brother was 'dead'.

She would not be able to contact Luke in any way from any of the ships or houses of her parents. Those could and eventually would be traced. No, Leia would have to only contact her brother from a different, neutral location. And not just that, but Leia would have to be extra cautious to only speak of Luke in the past tense at home too. One slip-up and her astute parents would know something was amiss.

And if that happened, Leia would have to say goodbye to her two big secrets.

With a resigned breath, Leia resolutely filed all knowledge of Luke's current state into the deepest recesses of her mind where they'd be safe from prying fathers.

A knock on her front door drew Leia from her musings, and she frowned slightly. Who would be calling for her at this hour? It was nearly midnight.

When she answered the door, she lifted a brow to find Sergeant Quane there, a disapproving gleam in his eyes that told Leia he knew she'd been gone.

"Princess, may I come in?"

Leia knew there was no denying him, so she stood aside. "Of course."

He waited until the door was shut to turn, fixing her with a knowing look. "Where have you been?"

Leia played dumb. "I don't know what you're talking about."

Quane glowered. "I mean you disappeared from your supposed route: no call, nothing. Had your parents been here, I would have had no choice but to alert them to this, Leia."

She opened her mouth to retort, but stopped short when his full statement registered. "Would have?"

Quane sighed heavily, taking a seat on the first chair he could find. "Leia, I've known you for years now... I knew Luke too. I have never truly wished you two any ill. All I've done is try to make your lives a good one. I do care about you, even if it may not seem like it. I... I do have a job, and I report to your parents, yes. But I also have an obligation to the two children I was all but tasked to raise."

Leia was mute as she too sat down facing him. In the shadows of the nearby library, Damielle— who had been doing some reading since she couldn't sleep— cracked the door open to listen.

"Now, I've already failed Luke," Quane stopped to clear his throat, and Leia swore she saw a gleam of moisture in his eyes before he blinked it away. "But I won't do the same with you. I want to help."

He hesitated and looked to Leia. "Off the record... can I trust you?"

Leia studied him, and then nodded solemnly. "Yes, you can. Can I do the same for you?"

Quane smiled gently. "I would never betray your confidence, Princess." She felt some warmth at that as he continued. "I do not agree with your parents' style of rule, and I certainly hated what they did to Luke, though I was powerless to do anything. But I refuse to let the same thing happen to you."

Leia sat back. "It won't."

Quane leaned forward. "Where were you, Leia? A meeting with a friend doesn't take days."

Leia turned her head, biting her lip as she considered her answer. Finally she sighed and met his gaze. "I... I needed to get away, so I lied. I didn't go meet a friend, well, not at first. But I made one while I was away."

Quane looked suspicious still, so Leia went on. "Look, my parents got away for who knows how long, why couldn't I slip away for some R&R myself?"

"Your parents told their staff they'd be gone, and those who needed to know were informed of the pertinent information in case something came up," Quane replied warmly. "Now, they didn't have to, since they're the rulers of this galaxy, but they still did. They did not just disappear."

Leia closed her eyes. "I know. I'm sorry, Sergeant. Next time I will be more careful."

Quane didn't drop his gaze, studying Leia openly. Refusing to let him in on her actual activities— she didn't believe that Quane could hide such information from her father like Leia could— Leia held that gaze and turned political intern on him.

"If that is all, Sergeant, I would like to get to bed. I am rather tired."

Quane didn't budge. "Leia, I am not a fool. I know you have been acting differently ever since your last impromptu trip. I don't know what you've gotten yourself into, but please, let me help you."

"What could you do?" Leia asked before she could stop herself.

"A lot, actually," Quane retorted. "Like turn certain attentions in a direction other than their daughter's activities. Which, by the way, I've caught on to," Quane produced a datapad which he placed between them on the table, showing all the files she had accessed and copied, "and have subsequently erased all the evidence of save this 'pad."

Leia's face paled noticeably, and she didn't move for long moments. She had been so careful...

When she stayed that way for too long, Quane spoke gently. "Leia, I am not a fool. I was hired by your parents because I have a particular skill-set. One I don't normally make public knowledge for security reasons. I noted your changed behavior and investigated privately, which I am now glad I did, because had anyone else seen what I have, you'd be in sublevel twelve just as Luke had been. I only asked because I wanted to give you the chance to confess."

Leia couldn't help the quiver to her lip, a strange combination of emotions swelling inside her bosom. She was still hurt, angry and offended by what her parents had done to their own flesh and blood. And yes, Leia was scared... and so lonely. Who did she have now that Luke was gone, and she couldn't just contact him whenever she needed to? Who could she confide in? Who could she find comfort from?

Leia didn't realized she'd zoned out until a strong but gentle arm encircled her shoulders and pulled her gently to a shoulder. Leia stiffened in shock, but Quane didn't do anything else, and Leia sensed his intentions were strictly a fatherly gesture on his part. He truly meant her no harm, and indeed he saw her as his own daughter in a way.

"Please tell me what's going on, so I can _protect_ you, Leia," he murmured. " _Trust_ me."

Leia stubbornly fought her rising desire to accept his offered comfort and assistance, until she realized that she didn't _want_ to do this entirely alone. And for how long? How long would it be before she and Luke succeeded? Could she continue to make up excuses for years as to her need to get off Coruscant?

And if Quane was willing and able to help, as he was offering... Leia could certainly use that.

At last Leia relaxed into his embrace, speaking softly. "I did get hurt last time I went out, yes, but only because I willingly helped the Alliance. I've been feeding them information... I am sick of my parents, and the horrid way they do everything. I want no further part in it, but I must do so for now."

Quane was surprised, and it took him several long minutes to speak calmly. "That... was a huge risk, Leia."

"One worth taking," Leia replied without missing a beat, sitting up straight and pulling away.

Quane studied her again, letting her go without complaint. Eventually he blew out a slow breath, nodding languidly. "What are you planning to do, exactly?"

Leia looked down, wondering how he'd take the next bit. "I am working with others to start taking down my mother and father, and to eventually dissolve their empire."

Quane took up the datapad, selected all the files he'd saved as evidence, and deleted them. Leia watched, feeling her trust of him increase exponentially with that act. "Then I will help you however I can," he told her, setting the device down.

Leia smiled genuinely, and then paused. "Why are you helping me commit treason?"

"Because I don't like the way your parents do things either. But I have never been in a position to do anything about that. This new goal will change that."

Leia tilted her head. "And what do you want from this?"

Quane smirked. "I am not a pirate, Leia," he said with some humor. "However, I would like to retire after this is all said and done. I will help establish the new government, but once everything is in place and working as it should I want to retire. I would also like to never again have to worry about where my next paycheck will come from."

Leia softened. "I think we can arrange that."

She bit her lip then, testing the Force for the answer on whether or not to tell him of Luke. Leia felt only a surge of assurance from the Force, and she decided to trust it again. It had never led her wrong.

"There is one more thing, but the secrecy on this is the key to everything," Leia stated.

Quane was clearly interested, and he indicated his acceptance. Leia silently asked Luke to forgive her for already breaking their agreement... but just this one time.

She dropped her voice so low only he would hear it. "Luke is alive."

There was utter silence for so long she feared he had gone in to shock. But then his face reddened some. "That isn't funny, Leia."

She glared mildly in return. "Why would I make something like that up?"

Quane only stared... and then hope light his eyes. "Truly?"

Leia nodded once.

"But... how?" Quane stuttered.

Leia smiled minutely and began to tell him everything, never once sensing any duplicity from Quane, and grateful for his support.

 **00000**

Damielle, meanwhile, shut the door and stood frozen in place. She'd not heard whatever Leia had whispered, but everything before that was exactly the kind of information Empress Padmé was looking for.

And Damielle was in a position to finally get the lady to free her family. Damielle's gaze hardened, determined to do just that. Turning, the young woman moved to the secondary door. However, as she stepped through, something else occurred to her.

What if the Empress didn't keep her word? It wasn't like she'd never betrayed people before after getting what she wanted. And what if Damielle became expendable after her usefulness was over?

Damielle didn't know what to do... but she was frightened. This information was what she'd been tasked to retrieve... but Leia had actually become someone Damielle liked as a friend. That notion thawed Damielle a little, helping her to begin making a choice.

Help the cruel woman who held her family's lives in the balance, or assist the princess who had never been unkind to Damielle? And... what if there was some way to free her family from the Empress's hold?

Could Leia's new friends make that happen?

But how would Damielle ever find out? And how would she keep a secret from the ever-intuitive Empress? Padmé was no dimwit: the woman hadn't been a top-level politician for nothing.

Damielle sank into the couch within the new room, frightened tears coming to her eyes as she deliberated her new predicament.


	40. Chapter 39

**Chapter Thirty Nine:**

Luke gazed upon the planet that filled his viewport, taking in the various shades of green all shrouded by enormous banks of fog. Luke had heard of Dagobah only in passing during his schooling, apparently no one cared about it because it was a backwater nothing of a swamp that was impossible to settle. According to Imperial history several people had tried, many decades ago, and had sworn the entire galaxy off of ever trying it again.

So, though there was a basic note on terrain and a variety of dangerous life forms, there was little else for Luke to go off of before he attempted to land. But Luke had something few others did these days: the Force.

Taking a deep breath, Luke delved deeply into that well of power and let it fill him. Only then did he urge his ship forward, trusting the Force to guide him to a safe landing. He was certainly glad for the Force; because Luke realized the moment he entered the atmosphere that he'd have crashed without it. The fog had a metallic quality to it that threw off his sensors, rendering them useless. And then the trees appeared literally out of nowhere, which gave Luke momentary chills when he realized how close to his viewport they were without actually touching it.

But Luke relaxed, flying by instinct as the Force bade him. He thus found a solid piece of land upon which to settle his small ship. Nella whistled beside him, turning her head toward him.

"How did you do that, Master Luke?" she asked in awe. "My sensors were useless in that mist. And I saw the instruments of our ship, they were also malfunctioning."

Luke turned his head toward her as he worked on the cool down sequence. "I used the Force, Nella."

She was quiet a moment, and then tilted her head curiously. "You have mentioned a Force, but I do not understand what it is, or how it guided you."

Luke nodded patiently. "Well, the best way I can explain it is that the Force is an energy field. It surrounds everything, and it fills, or penetrates everything. And while it is inside everyone, only some mortal beings can access its power in return. Those persons are known as Force sensitives, and remain that way unless they receive training. Then they become either a Jedi— a servant of the Light— or a Sith like my Father, who serves the Dark Side. And because I am one of those people I can manipulate the Force, and I can hear it speak to me, feel it guide me because everyone and everything is part of it."

Nella hummed. "And because it is part of everything, you can lift objects and stop blaster bolts because they are all in that energy field: you are simply manipulating that field to your advantage?"

Luke blinked in surprise. He hadn't really known if Nella would understand it, but apparently she did. Despite her top-of-the-line insides, Luke wondered how a mechanical being could comprehend the Force like Nella did. But then, his droid was smart, and Luke felt like a proud parent.

He chuckled softly. "Yes, Nella, that is exactly right. How did you know about the other stuff though?"

She gestured. "I went through the memory banks of the _Millennium_ _Falcon_ in my free time. I saw some old security videos."

"Ah." Luke indicated his understanding. "Well, I'm glad you are learning fast. You are excelling, Nella, and I'm both proud of and happy for you."

"A good explanation that was, Young Luke." A gravelly voice praised.

Luke jumped almost out of his skin and spun around to see a small green being standing in the back of the cockpit. Luke silently cursed his inattention and then frowned. "How did you get onboard?"

The being's elongated ears shifted vertically. "Easy it was, since distracted you were, hmm, yes?"

It took Luke a moment to get used to this creature's backwards way of speaking, but since he could understand what the being said, Luke didn't call attention to it. Though at the being's words Luke blushed, embarrassed. "I guess that's fair."

But the more Luke eyed the little man before him— he had to be quite old if his wrinkled skin and white hair were any indication— the more something niggled at the back of his mind. There was something about this little creature... something familiar. He had never seen this species before... or had he? Luke racked his brain, trying to think of what it was about this little alien that caused Luke such a stir.

"I am wondering, why are you here?" the creature asked.

Luke rubbed his chin briefly. "I'm looking for someone. You..." Luke paused, feeling a stir in the Force. He turned his attention to the prompting and listened to it, hearing a whisper to him to trust the odd being. Luke frowned curiously and touched the green creature in the Force... and gasped to find a deep well of power that astounded Luke.

It was akin to Vader's sense whenever Luke had been permitted to reach that far into the man. But whereas Vader was cold, aloof and frightening, this being was the complete opposite. His presence soothed Luke; it warmed him like the sun did the sand on a beach, and Luke felt inspiration strike.

"Are you Master Yoda?"

The creature actually smiled. "Very good Young Luke. Yoda, I am."

Luke eyed Yoda with a new level of respect, and he stood from his seat to drop to one knee. "Master Yoda, I am Luke..." here he hesitated, not sure which name to give the old Jedi Master.

"Why pause, do you?" Yoda asked.

Luke bit his lip, a little insecurity plaguing him. "Because I know who I want to be, but... am I worthy to bear that name yet?"

Yoda came forward to place a clawed hand upon Luke's shoulder. "Luke, while in public, wise it would not be right now to pronounce your true birthright, worry not that you are worthy of it. A Skywalker you truly are."

Luke smiled gratefully. "Then I am Luke Skywalker. But only Leia and Mara know this... I haven't told anyone else until now."

"Wise, that is. For time it is not for you to be revealed. A different name you will need."

"Jirik: that's the name I have chosen," Luke replied.

Yoda dipped his head. "Then come, Jirik, to my home."

Luke rose, gesturing to Nella. "Wait on the ship for now, please."

"Yes Master Luke."

Yoda looked to the droid. "Built this droid did you, or a new model is she?"

Luke smiled gently. "I created Nella. She's one of a kind."

Yoda hummed, impressed. "A wonderful mechanic you seem to be, just like your father was when knew him I did."

Luke's smile grew wider for a moment before it gained a sad edge to it. "Thank you Master Yoda."

Yoda took note of his gloom, and sighed to himself, but said nothing as he led the way to his hut. Luke felt the humidity acutely, beginning to sweat almost instantly as they left the _Pilgrim_.

The swamp was teeming with life, from the water to the air. Luke heard the calls of various creatures, saw some eddies far out in the murky water that indicated a likely predator just beneath the surface. Luke eyed the enormous trees in surprise, taking in the twisted root system that seemed to dominate much of the land.

But the one thing Luke noted the most was the vivacity of the Force on Dagobah.

"Is this planet a natural wellspring of the Force?" Luke inquired curiously. "I've never felt it so... abundant in one location before."

"Yes," Yoda answered. "Strong the Force is here and much life there is also. Easy to hide among it, it was for me."

Comprehension dawned. "That's why Father never knew you were alive. I heard him on occasion, he didn't know if you had perished after the downfall of the Jedi Order."

Yoda's shoulders drooped almost imperceptibly, but Luke still caught it and felt bad. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to bring up a sore subject."

The Jedi motioned with a small hand. "Offend me you did not, Luke. Not wrong, it is, to mention the past."

Luke nodded silently, and finally caught sight of Yoda's hut. He wondered how he was supposed to fit inside, and indeed Luke had to pause while Yoda walked right into the house clearly designed for his much smaller stature. Luke had to resort to basically crawling inside, though he supposed it was good for him, and it would help remind him to be humble.

Luke settled against a portion of the wall where the ceiling was higher than in other areas so he could at least sit upright. He tuned in to the Jedi once he was in place, and saw the being moving about what had to be his kitchen. It wasn't fancy by any means, but Luke didn't mind. He smiled almost wistfully at the small fireplace and counter.

The rest of the house was sparse like Luke's apartments had been, but the hut was also surprisingly homey.

"This is a nice place you've got here," Luke murmured honestly. "After growing up in the lap of luxury, one would think I'd prefer the finest things only. But it's nice to go down to basics; to not clutter your life and home with a lot of junk. Because then the few things you do have can be appreciated more fully."

Yoda eyed Luke in a way that almost made him squirm. "A very mature outlook that is, Luke."

Luke dipped his head self-consciously. "I've always liked to think of myself as down to earth. Though luxury can be nice too sometimes."

Yoda chuckled gently. "Indeed. Now," the little man brought a bowl of stew to Luke, "eat."

Luke accepted the offered meal, though he did pause upon seeing the contents. Knowing what had been outside, Luke didn't think the Jedi would have much to cook with. Yet there were items in his soup that would have never been found on Dagobah.

A thought came to Luke then. "Has Maz been supplying you with food?"

Yoda looked up from his own bowl at Luke's question, and Luke caught his brief surprise. But then the being smiled softly. "A good friend she is. A long time, do we go back."

Luke's brow furrowed some. He'd sworn he had caught the barest hint of... affection in the man's tone. Long-time friends... had that been all, or was there perhaps something more to their relationship? Luke then recalled Vader telling his children that the Jedi had been forbidden to form attachments, which was one reason Vader had left them.

But that didn't mean Yoda couldn't have admitted his feelings after the Order was gone, right? Or did Yoda still stand by what he'd lived for his whole life? Luke eventually allowed his curiosity to slip away, knowing it wasn't his place. Nor was it the time to bring it up. Besides, Yoda and he had just met; Luke didn't need to delve instantly into his companion's private life.

"She's a special person." Luke agreed at last. "She took care of me, risking everything when she could have said no."

"A woman of many trades is Maz," Yoda told Luke. "And yes, the food she gave me."

Luke inclined his head and began to eat, finding the dish to be surprisingly tasty. "Thank you for the meal."

The two finished their food in companionable silence, and then Luke sat back, allowing his food to settle. But once Yoda had retired to his couch, Luke sat forward.

"You must know why I am here." He began.

Yoda nodded. "Yes... and no. Asked me nothing in that regards, have you."

Luke realized he was right. "Master Yoda... will you teach me the Jedi side of the Force? I already had training under my father, but... I want more." He cringed as he realized how that had come out. "I mean, I'm not seeking for power like a Sith would. I want more knowledge, I want a fuller education in the Force." He fumbled to a halt, looking to his fingers uncertainly.

"Want to come into your true potential, you do." Yoda finished for him softly.

Luke met the Master's eyes. "Yes."

Yoda held Luke's gaze. "What will you do with this knowledge and training I would give you?"

Luke took a breath. "I would work to remove my parents from power. And then I would strive to bring the galaxy out from an Empire's oppression to become a free galaxy where everyone will have an equal voice."

Yoda studied Luke a long time, contemplating. "Willing, are you, to do whatever needs to be done?"

Luke nodded. "I am. I... would rather not have to kill my father, or my mother, but... it may come to that. It would be hard, but..." Luke looked away. "This is what I need to do. I have felt it. And I want to be my own person. I've killed for my parents, and I have seen and lived under their tyrannical rule. I will put a stop to it. With help, of course: Leia is in on this too."

Yoda blinked, his ears shifting as he took that in. "Working with the Rebellion, is she?"

"Yes. However, she will also remain with my parents and be a double agent," Luke told the other.

Yoda hesitated. "Understand how dangerous that is, do you both?"

Luke lifted a brow. "We understand more than anyone else, Master Yoda, trust me."

Yoda was silent for a long time, though Luke knew he was contemplating all the information. "More to say on the matter of training, have you?"

"Actually, yes." Luke shifted forward some. "I don't want to be locked down onto Dagobah the entire time. I would like to be mobile, to travel and learn from peoples around the galaxy. I have heard of races in the unknown regions that have their own ways of using the Force."

Yoda lifted a hand. "There are, though they may not share all their knowledge."

"I don't want all of it, just something to add to my learning."

Yoda nodded slowly, deliberately. "Very well. Time among the stars we will spend, though land-based training will be required also."

"And I will be running a few supply runs for Talon Karrde." Luke added. "He and I have an agreement. He loaned me the ship and supplies, as well as agreeing to let me come and go, and in return I help him with shipments or other things he may need."

Yoda lifted a brow, but didn't retort. "My identity, remain hidden it shall. If known I become to the general public, in grave danger we will all be."

Luke nodded. "I agree, and understand." He couldn't help but offer an irreverent grin, "both of us are dead men walking."

Yoda sighed in exasperation, muttering something about Skywalkers under his breath, but Luke felt his humor at the comment. Eventually he even garnered a chuckle from the elderly Jedi. "Right you are, my young Skywalker. Begin we shall, in the morning. Three days you will spend here: into shape you will need to get."

Luke pursed his lips. "I am in shape, Master."

Yoda gave Luke a look he knew meant trouble. "Find out tomorrow, we will, if that is true."

It was Luke's turn to laugh, though he was also admittedly nervous at that pronouncement. However, he wasn't about to back down, so he bowed his head to the Jedi Master. "Thank you Master Yoda."


	41. Chapter 40

**Chapter Forty:**

 **(** **A/N:** _I need to clarify a mistake I made near the beginning of this book. I mixed up Luke and Leia's ages. The pair turned 18 on their birthday in chapter 5, but I later said Luke was 19. I apologize for the mix-up: 18 was the correct age for the twins then._ **)**

 **5 months later**

Twin suns painted the dull-colored hull of the _Pilgrim_ in brilliant white-yellow as it descended to the sands of Tatooine. A rock formation a healthy distance from Jabba the Hutt's notorious palace allowed for adequate cover for the old Nabooian skiff. Once the vessel set down with the grace of a loth cat, the engines shut down; eliminating the cloud of sand they kicked up.

Silence returned to the desert for a few minutes before the boarding ramp lowered and a solitary figure in a black robe emerged.

Luke Skywalker— or Jirik to everyone but a select few— shut the hatch and came around the immense boulders to gaze upon the vast dunes. The heat hit him intensely in his dark attire, but he paid it no mind, and a small part of him even found the heat to be a little homey. Luke wondered if it had anything to do with his aunt and uncle that still lived here.

He checked his equipment, making sure he had everything he would need. Under his rode Luke wore his best clothing: an outfit he'd have worn on Coruscant that spoke of wealth. To finish the look, a one-of-a kind cape was draped about his shoulders. He felt it was a little ridiculous to wear the latter under his robe, but he felt that if he needed to prove his wealth to the Hutt, the cape would do the job if the clothing choice didn't. Perhaps the Hutt would suggest Luke had stolen the clothing from someone. But not just anyone would have his cape. In fact, his parents had had it made especially for Luke.

Glancing around out of habit, Luke got his bearings and started the trek towards Jabba's palace. As he moved through the sometimes thick sand, Luke reflected on the past months. As promised, Yoda had worked Luke hard, sometimes to the point of exhaustion... and even beyond. Luke was pushed to his limits more often than not so that he could increase his stamina, endurance and abilities overall, while also learning just how much he could take before he absolutely couldn't do any more.

Luke had indeed not been in as good of shape as he'd thought and he recalled how for the first few weeks he'd been sore and tired every day. But Luke was grateful for his master's insistence and training: he was much better off, even only five months into his instruction under Master Yoda.

Currently Yoda was still on Dagobah, as he had yet to leave it with his protégé. Luke, however, had come and gone a few times so he could keep his agreement with Talon Karrde. Of course, that also meant Luke got to spend time with Mara, which was perfectly fine with the young man. Luke was growing more and more attached to her as he spent time with the feisty, but good-hearted redhead.

Luke had even built a new lightsaber, one to symbolize his shift away from his past and into his future. The blade was an emerald green, and the hilt more utilitarian in design than aesthetically pleasing. It was far from ugly: he just preferred something simple, but effective and comfortable when it came to his lightsaber.

The item was strapped to his right forearm under his sleeve in a specialized holster Luke himself had designed. But Luke owed the idea to Han, whom Luke had missed fiercely since parting ways so long ago. To Luke it seemed like it had been an age since he'd seen his friend.

As Luke drew near the large building, he cleared his mind of all distractions and prepared himself for what was to come. Taking a deep breath, Luke kept the hood up over his face, though his natural features were altered so he would not be recognized as the deceased prince he was in the galaxy's mind.

Once at the front door, Luke knocked, waiting several minutes before a round appendage on a metal extending arm popped out of a hatch to view him.

" _Who are you and what do you want?_ " it asked in Huttese.

"I am here to see Jabba," Luke replied, purposely ignoring the first query. "I have something for him."

" _What, do you think you can just walk in here and see him?_ " the thing scoffed.

Luke didn't back down. "Yes, if he wants to get paid for something he's been missing for a long time now."

That gave the little camera droid pause, and Luke knew the operator behind it was contacting his master. Finally the door began to open ponderously, and Luke stayed put until it was wide enough to admit him without having to stoop at all.

Confidently, but cautiously, Luke entered the darkened corridor, knowing that the lighting deficiency was on purpose. Visitors would be coming from brilliant sunlight into a dimly lit corridor, which meant their eyes would take several precious moments to adjust... which gave the guards the upper hand in defending their keep if need be.

Luke was several steps inside before he was met by a tan-skinned Twilek man with red eyes. Luke said nothing as the being met him and lifted a clawed hand.

"Welcome, I am Bib Fortuna. What is it you have that Jabba has lost?" the man asked.

"That is for Jabba to hear, and I will speak to no one else," Luke said seriously. "If he wants what's his, he will see me in person."

Bib studied Luke the best he could since the human's features were hidden. "I am authorized to deal on Jabba's behalf."

Luke didn't budge. "Not in all things, you aren't. I will not change my mind."

Bib's interest was clear at Luke's wording, but he did sigh, turning with a wave. "Very well, this way."

Luke followed the other, making a mental map of the building as they went, and noting that there weren't many ways out. In fact, as far as he could tell there was only one way out: the door he'd come through. But Luke knew there had to be more than one way in and out: how else would the gangster come and go without others knowing it?

As they drew closer to an underground den, Luke heard music and talking. Smoke wafted up the steps they eventually came to, and Luke had to force himself not to gag at the stench of the room. Clearly there wasn't any fresh air down here. Maybe the Hutts liked it that way, if their homeworld was any indication.

Luke shook his head to clear it and let his keen gaze flick with purpose about the room as he entered. He noted all occupants, especially those who looked like trouble, though he paid special attention to the position of the guards. In his perusal, Luke felt his heart clench with sympathy when his gaze found the small helping of slave girls that wandered the room serving drinks... or the ones dancing. All of them were in skimpy outfits that did nothing to preserve their dignity or privacy, and Luke hated Jabba for that.

But when Luke turned his full attention to the raised dais that housed the plump Hutt, Luke saw a dark-skinned girl about Luke's age that was just finishing a dance for her master. Luke frowned when something stirred in the Force, and he paused a moment to listen.

But his focus had to be split as Jabba's booming voice sounded from the 'throne' he lounged upon.

" _I am told you have something that belongs to me_ ," Jabba said leadingly in his native tongue. " _And that you would only speak with me. What could be so important you could not talk to Fortuna?_ "

"Is he trusted to settle old debts or possibly make deals on your behalf?" Luke asked pointedly, though his gaze kept slipping to the dancer, who still hadn't turned so he could see her face. But something about her had the Force whispering to Luke.

Jabba hummed deeply, and Luke eyed the being from under his hood. " _You have my attention now, so speak before I decide I'm annoyed with you._ "

Unperturbed, Luke responded calmly. "I am here to settle Han Solo's debt to you."

Utter silence reigned for the space of three heartbeats before the entire establishment erupted into riotous laughter. Jabba rocked back and forth on his dais as his bass laughter reverberated about the crowded room the loudest.

Luke took the opportunity of the room's occupants being distracted to find the young woman again, and this time he saw her face. Luke felt like he should recognize her... but from where? Her face... he knew that face... he'd seen it before. But for the life of him he couldn't place her.

Jabba's amused words cut into his thoughts, once more bringing Luke's focus to fore. " _You are good for a laugh, I will give you that._ "

Luke lifted a brow under his hood. "Do I sound like I'm joking?"

Jabba stopped at that, studying Luke intently. " _A bold one then,_ " he mused. " _Why would you want to do this?_ "

"My reasons are my own," Luke said. "I will pay his debt, and in exchange, you free him from your service and hit-list. He will no longer work for you, or owe you anything at all. The same goes for Chewbacca."

Jabba narrowed his eyes. " _You presume to have such authority to make these... terms._ "

Luke knew he was being tested. "I have the high ground here, Jabba. I have your money, and all I want in return is Solo and Chewbacca's release. I don't think that's unfair."

Jabba huffed indignantly. " _Is that all?_ "

Luke smirked. "For now."

He sensed the shift in the room as Jabba's goons moved closer just in case Jabba ordered a hit on the stranger. Luke deftly shifted his weight to the balls of his feet, ready to spring in a heartbeat if those around him tried anything foolish.

" _Are you aware of just how much the man owes me?_ " Jabba asked.

"I am," Luke answered, though in truth he didn't have the actual total. But Luke had more than enough money to pay the debt. He had been saving funds for years now, and he was not poor by any means.

Jabba sat back, grabbing an amphibian from a nearby water bowl at his side and shoving it sloppily into his mouth. Luke tried not to think about the Hutt's foul breath as he waited for the other to stop stalling.

At last Jabba belched and then squinted at the human. " _Solo has been nothing but a thorn in my side for too long. He was once a great smuggler, but now he's nothing but bantha poodoo. I will agree to your terms so I can be rid of that pest. But if I ever see him at my door again, I will kill him._ "

Luke dipped his head. "Understood. I will need to transfer the funds into your account."

Jabba gestured to Bib, who produced a datapad and approached Luke, showing him the hefty sum Han owed the gangster. Luke was indeed surprised, but he still paid the Hutt, using a ghost account he had set up so his real cache couldn't be traced. Once the Hutt had seen the money in his own account, Luke began to back away.

But the Force stirred again, more forcefully this time, and Luke was reminded of the mystery girl. Amid the mixed feelings of the crowd, Luke felt the suffering of the slave girls, and wished he could help them be free. But there was no way he could free each of them.

But perhaps he could free just one...

"One more item of business if you please," Luke said as Bib came to take him back to the exit.

Jabba eyed him suspiciously. " _What is it now?_ "

Luke gestured to the dark-skinned girl, and watched her eyes widen as attention was directed to her. "How much for this girl?"

" _She is not for sale,_ " Jabba snapped, irritated now and lifting a hand. " _I have spent a long time breaking this girl, and I will not let her go so easily!_ _Get him out of my sight!_ "

As the gangster's henchmen drew ever closer, Luke thought fast, raking his brain to recall something he'd read about Jabba before. The guards reached him and grabbed his arms roughly. Luke struggled against them, his hood slipping in the process.

The men dragged Luke toward the stairs, but just as they reached them, Luke called out. "You are a collector of rare objects, are you not?"

Jabba narrowed his eyes at Luke, but the Hutt lifted a hand, halting the guards' movements. " _That I am. Why do you care?_ "

Luke jerked free of the guards, straightening his robe. "I happen to know where something like that is."

" _And what would this mysterious object be?_ " Jabba scoffed.

"How about a silken cape from Iego?" Luke persuaded.

Jabba straightened his bulk in surprise. Everyone knew that Iego silk was the most prized fabric in the entire galaxy because of the bountiful tales surrounding it. Many a space-goer believed that angels lived on that planet's moons, and every so often they would spin silk and let it fall to the planet's surface.

Luke thought it was all just tall tales, but if it got him what he needed, Luke could part with the cape. He had never truly liked silk, but he'd worn the thing and actually cared for it because the gift had been a rare show of the love his parents had then still held for their son.

" _And how would you know of this item?_ " Jabba challenged.

Luke squared his shoulders, removing the robe he wore to reveal the shimmery cape in question. "I am in possession of it."

Jabba gestured Luke forward and the young man moved close enough for the Hutt to touch the fabric. The way the gangster's eyes lit up told Luke he was winning Jabba over.

"I will exchange this cape for the girl, and her slave remote. I will not be cheated out of this transaction." Luke warned. "I am not to be toyed with."

Jabba was all but drooling over the cape by now, and he nodded eagerly. " _Done. Give him the girl's remote._ "

One guard grabbed the chain about the girl's neck and harshly jerked her forward. She stumbled, trying to keep up, and then the guard deposited her chain into Luke's hand. A slave master then appeared and handed a device over to Luke while the young lady in question looked frightened.

Luke eyed the remote, and then looked to the guy who'd handed it to him. "How do I know this is hers?"

"I will deactivate it. She will feel a jolt once it's been done." The girl jerked when the other depressed a button, and then gave a small cry when the man re-activated her chip.

Luke hadn't meant to cause her pain, and he winced inwardly when he felt her get hurt. Pocketing the remote, he straightened and turned to Jabba. "Escort me to the exit of your choice. Once she and I are safely outside, you will get the cape."

Jabba growled lowly but barked out orders, and soon everyone important was on the move, ushering Luke and the slave girl to the front entrance via a different path than the stairs. The large door opened and Luke stepped outside, turning once he had and unclasping the cape.

Bib took it carefully and handed it to Jabba, who ordered that it be placed around his own shoulders. Luke thought the cape looked hideously out of place on the Hutt, but he kept his opinion to himself.

"A pleasure doing business with you, Jabba," Luke said as he replaced his robe and backed away, not about to turn his back to these people.

Jabba barely glanced his way, however, too engrossed in his new toy was he. Luke eventually deemed it safe to walk properly, and did so, gently leading the girl along. Once he could, he would free her from the collar she was forced to wear.

"Come on," he murmured to his new companion.

As they walked, the girl put her hands up to her face and shielded her eyes from the bright sunlight. Luke wondered how long it had been since she'd last seen the sun. On a whim, and seeing how exposed the young woman was, Luke took off his robe and draped it around her shoulders.

"There you go," he said as he adjusted it, but the girl shied away from his touch, a clear current of fear coursing through her sense in the Force... and her gaze. "I'm not going to hurt you."

She didn't say anything, but nor did she fight him, probably knowing that in the desert she stood no chance of surviving even if she did break away. But she did draw the robe closer to her thin frame.

Luke sighed softly and led her to his ship, calling on the way for Nella to begin the warm-up. Once they were at the _Pilgrim,_ he entered the code and let her go first. She did so warily and Luke followed, sealing the ship behind himself.

He motioned to an acceleration couch. "Strap in while we take off."

The young man made his way to the pilot's seat, smiling softly at Nella, who tilted her head curiously. "Who is the passenger Master Luke?"

"Jirik in front of company, you know that, Nella," he corrected firmly.

"Right, my apologies Master," Nella said penitently.

"I don't know her name, but I freed her from Jabba's clutches." Luke lifted the _Pilgrim_ from the sands, pulling away to make his ascent into the sky. It wasn't long before they were in space, and Luke pulled out his datapad, finding a file he'd been keeping as he had sought out Han. It had not been easy to find the smuggler, but at last Luke had done so.

Apparently Han was lying low at Bespin, in a place called Cloud City. Luke input the coordinates and sent the ship into hyperspace. Once flight-checks had been performed, Luke stood.

"Keep an eye on things please; I need to see our guest."

Nella nodded and Luke strode back into the lobby. The girl was sitting rigidly in her seat, and as soon as her eyes caught sight of him, she stared. Still he felt her fear, and Luke tried again to soothe her.

"I promise I'm not going to hurt you. I want to free you." He felt her disbelief, her thoughts that this was all some ruse. But Luke lifted the remote and deactivated her chip once more, causing her to flinch, and Luke to apologize quietly. Finally he took the remote, placed it on the floor and crushed it to pieces to make his point to her. "There. You're officially free."

She couldn't take her eyes off of the remains of her remote, and Luke felt the warring emotions within her. He let the girl have her space, eyeing her in the robe and pursing his lips. He went into the cabin and shuffled through his clothing to try finding something she could wear until they found clothing fit for a young woman.

At last he pulled out a plain grey shirt and a black set of trousers. He returned to the girl and handed the clothing over. "Here you go: something decent to wear. Once we land, we can get you a real outfit, but for now this should do."

She took the items slowly and Luke sat near her, once more trying to place where he knew her from. His eyes fell upon her collar and he studied it to figure out the best way to remove it. After a time, Luke retrieved a tool kit and began to work on freeing the young woman from the thing around her neck.

At one point he glanced at her face, trying to make conversation to help ease her nerves. "What is your name?"

Her dull eyes met his. "321..."

Luke placed a hand over hers to stop her. "No, I mean your _name_. Who are you?"

"I am no one," she stated by rote, looking away with moist eyes, and Luke's sorrow for her returned. "Only a slave."

He paused in his work to lift a hand to turn her head, and as soon as he made contact with her cheek, her fear morphed into terror and Luke frowned when she shifted away from him. He could practically hear her heart pounding form where he sat. He leaned back, a little confused, until he caught a snippet of thought from the young woman. It was an image of him forcing her down and... and Luke having his way with her like so many others she'd been forced to lie with.

He jerked away as if she'd slapped him, horrified that she thought he was trying to seduce or rape her. His antics caused some confusion in her in turn, though he barely noticed. He had to take several deep breaths to calm himself down, remembering where he'd just taken her from. Slowly he began to comprehend that this girl hadn't just been a dancer for Jabba. She had been a slave meant to give pleasure to those who wanted it for the right price.

Luke's anger flared up and he cursed Jabba up and down his known vocabulary. Once he'd calmed down, Luke took a breath. "I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. I am not playing you, and I want nothing from you that you don't want to give me."

She frowned, and Luke went on. "I did not mean to cross any lines by touching you, and I will refrain from touching you in any way that's inappropriate or makes you uncomfortable. I'm sorry for scaring you."

He sighed, dropping his hand to finish his task and then letting the item clang to the floor. He promptly placed his hands firmly in his lap. "What I was trying to do was get your attention. You are a person, and you need to start seeing yourself as one. You are not a slave, not anymore." He offered what he hoped was a friendly smile. "I'm Jirik, by the way."

He stood, hearing her stomach growl and wondering when she'd last eaten. Luke moved to the galley and got to work preparing a meal for his guest. He felt her eyes on him the entire time, but he didn't mind: let her work things out for herself. When she was ready to talk, she would: he'd not pressure her.

She didn't speak until he handed her a plate. "Nakari."

He cocked his head, intrigued. "Nakari?"

"My... name. You asked."

Luke lifted his head in an 'ah-ha' manner, relinquishing the plate and watching as she at first picked at the items, then tasted... and finally began shoving food into her mouth as swiftly as possible. Luke was only a little shocked, though he now had his answer: she hadn't eaten for some time.

He brought her a drink at one point and she downed it swiftly, returning to her food with the same desperation as before.

Luke turned his gaze away politely, instead shifting to a more comfortable position to read from his datapad. Nakari... he had heard that name, just as he'd seen this girl's face before... Luke typed in her name and waited for the results.

What came up froze Luke's heart momentarily. Nakari Kelen. Her image matched the girl before him too much to be a coincidence. With a sinking feeling in his gut, Luke looked to Nakari with new eyes, swallowing with sudden difficulty.

Now he remembered why she was familiar to him. Nakari Kelen was daughter of Fayet Kelen, owner of Kelen Biolabs... and her mother had been a singer who had stepped on the Emperor's toes by writing a song that poked fun at him.

Vader had been furious, and he had gone after the woman's family: combing through Fayet's business and doing everything he could to ruin the man, which had only worked out a little bit. But their daughter... Vader had ripped the then-eleven-year-old-girl from her parents' grasp and shipped her off to who-knew where. And while the singer had suffered from all the flak from her mistake, the Emperor had finally called for her death. Vader had done the deed himself while Fayet and the galaxy watched to make a point no one would ever forget.

And no one had.

No one had ever tried a stunt like that again. A young Luke, who'd been witness to everything since he had been in his intense training with Vader, had been horrified on the family's behalf. He had even searched discreetly for Nakari, hoping to help the innocent girl from whatever fate she'd been sentenced to.

Rumors had spread that Nakari had been sent to the spice mines of Kessel, and thought to be dead as a result. But Now Luke knew that wasn't the case. Nakari had been practically gifted to Jabba the Hutt by Vader.

And Jabba had terrorized the poor girl, breaking her down and forcing her into things no female should ever have to face.

He looked up to find her gaze on him. Resolutely he forced a smile onto his face, trying his best not to look guilty. Seeing her empty plate, Luke stood, pocketing his datapad. "I'll get those cleaned up for you. Why don't you get dressed, and if you'd like you can take a nap. I'm afraid there is only one cabin. But if you'd feel more comfortable, I can sleep in the lobby: you can have a bed."

Nakari's gaze slid to the cabin and she nodded, rising to do just that. "Thanks."

At the doorway, Nakari paused, turning around. "And... thank you for freeing me."

Luke smiled genuinely this time. "You're welcome."

"But why did you do it?" she wondered aloud.

Luke hesitated, wondering how much to give away, especially in light if his new knowledge. "I wanted to help... and you... were important to the Force for some reason."

She started, eyes widening. "Did you say the Force?"

Luke nodded once, waiting for her to lash out at him. To his great surprise, she did the opposite. She approached cautiously. "Are you... a Jedi?"

Thrown off by her mannerisms, Luke stumbled over his response. "Ah... no... well, not yet."

She tilted her head. "But you are Force-sensitive?"

"Yes." Luke frowned. "Why do you ask?"

Nakari smiled wistfully, almost secretively. "No reason."

She turned and entered the cabin before he could reply, leaving him to ponder the strange conversation.


	42. Chapter 41

**Chapter Forty One:**

Luke had had a difficult time getting permission to land, until he had claimed to be an interested customer. Then he'd been granted a place to berth the _Pilgrim_ , grateful to be on solid ground. He loved flying, yes, but after days in hyperspace he was ready to stretch his legs.

On the bright side, he'd gotten to know Nakari some more and surprisingly it hadn't taken too long for her to come out of her shell to where she was more comfortable with him.

Nakari claimed she hadn't really been broken, but that she had created a mask to wear, hiding her true spirit behind a wall so Jabba would think he'd won and ease up on her. And yet, Luke sensed that wasn't entirely true. No one came out of being a pleasure slave unscathed. She was probably just trying to cope with her experience by burying it in the past.

But Luke was quick to realize that Nakari had a somewhat warped sense of humor and a personality that told him she was a strong young woman with some vulnerable points.

Luke led his party down the landing ramp, and was met by a dark-skinned human man in an outfit that spoke of lavish taste. This man also wore a cape of fine, shimmery material. Luke chose to look beyond the exterior of this man, however, and took the hand the host offered.

"I am Lando Calrissian, here to help you with your transaction," he said, his gaze sliding toward Nakari more than once. "And who might you be?" he asked her.

"Nakari," she replied, uneasy with his attention.

"Welcome Nakari," Lando reached for her hand, but Nakari moved away, a clear signal for him to back off. Lando took the hint and lifted his hands in a peaceful gesture. "Sorry milady, I meant no disrespect." He looked to Luke. "Who are you then?"

"I'm Jirik, and I'm actually looking for someone," Luke replied.

Lando's brow lifted. "So you aren't really a customer?"

"No, sorry, I just needed to land." Luke touched Lando in the Force, trying to soothe any suspicion. "I'm here for a friend."

Lando narrowed his eyes. "A friend. Right. You know, I could have you arrested for trespassing since you aren't really what you said you are."

Nakari stepped forward. "I asked him to come here. I need to contact my father, I've been away for a while and this was the nearest place to us. Please. I haven't seen him..." her throat closed, her next words choked, "in years."

Lando studied her, but Luke could sense he was warming up to her. Finally Lando smiled at her, and he gestured. "Alright. I will take you to a communications station you can use." He glanced at Luke. "You aren't here to cause trouble are you?"

Luke shook his head. "No."

Lando held Luke's gaze, studying the other's face and eyes for any tells of deceit, and Luke deduced that this man was a gambler. Lando did a double-take when Nella floated into his view more-so, as she had been mostly behind Luke until that moment.

"Wow, what a droid!" Lando exclaimed. "Where'd you get such a model?"

"I built her." Luke told the other simply.

Lando's jaw dropped. "Be serious? You built this thing? She's beautiful. Any chance she's for sale?"

"Absolutely not," Luke left no room for debate in his tone and Lando shrugged.

"Alright, but you can't blame me for trying now can you?"

Luke managed a friendly grin, small as it was; but it appeased their host. Eventually the other man nodded and led the way inside. Luke and Nella followed at a respectful distance when Lando began chatting with Nakari, who opened up to their host only enough to not be rude.

Luke reached out in the Force, searching for Han... and found him a few floors down. Luke slowly lengthened the distance between himself and his companions until he was able to slip away unnoticed, Nella at his side.

 **00000**

Han slouched over his ale, wondering what he was going to do with his life now that he and Chewie were on the top of Jabba's wanted list. They were unable to show their faces lest the plethora of hunters on their tail catch wind of him and Chewbacca and either kill them or worse turn them in to Jabba. They'd been on the run ever since...

...ever since Luke had given himself up for the smugglers.

Han felt like he'd betrayed the Kid, regardless of the circumstances. He should have stayed... he should have been at the Kid's side... he should have tied the Kid up...

He should have tried harder to get away from the Empire.

But the smuggler had had little time to contemplate what he could do to help Luke after the Empire had cut them loose, because not long afterwards, Boba Fett had appeared hot on his tail.

Han and Chewie had survived that encounter by the skin of their teeth, limping away in a _Falcon_ that had been so badly damaged Han had been forced to land on the first inhabitable planet he could. And he'd then had to work for three months in a dump of a factory to earn enough money to buy parts to fix his beloved ship.

All while trying to stay under Boba's radar. It hadn't been easy, and many times the bounty hunter had nearly caught Han and Chewie, but somehow they'd always made it out of the man's path just in time.

Once the _Falcon_ had been repaired, Han and Chewie had skipped the planet, hopping from place to random place to try losing Boba... and a plethora of other bounty hunters who had caught wind of the price Han and Chewie were worth.

Finally Han had called in a favor to Lando, who was an important person on Cloudy City, and who was working his way up the chain of command at a steady pace. Soon he'd be Baron Administrator here.

But Han's thoughts returned to Luke, and the smuggler continued to stew in thoughts of how he could have changed the Kid's fate. But he hadn't... and now the Kid was dead, and Han had taken the young man's death hard.

Footsteps sounded by the table, and Han lifted his head to growl at whoever it was to leave him alone when he saw who it was.

"Chewie." He greeted, though when he took in the Wookiee's body language, Han straightened. "What's wrong?"

Chewbacca didn't answer for a moment, but continued to look at a datapad in his grasp, disbelief clear on his face. At least, it was clear to Han since he knew how to read Wookiees. When his friend stayed silent, Han rolled his eyes and made to snatch the device from his copilot. But the Wookiee shook his head at that point and handed it over.

[Apparently we are free men now,] the Wookiee said, taking a seat across from Han.

Han frowned, annoyed. Now was not the time for the Wookiee to try lifting Han's spirits with bad jokes. "Cut the crap, Fuzball."

Chewie glared in turn and gestured to the device now on the table in front of Han. [Read it for yourself, Han.]

The smuggler snorted, though his eyes fell to the report on the 'pad. "There's no way in Hoth's frosted landscape that we are..."

He stopped... read it again... and gaped. "What? But... who? How?" Something occurred to him. "...and _why?_ "

Chewbacca shrugged. [There's no information on the one who paid, but someone settled our debt for us, and we are at long last free from Jabba.]

Han could only stare at the device, and after several long minutes his stubborn pride reared its head. "And who asked them for their help, huh?"

Chewie glanced about the establishment, though at this hour it was all but empty as most of the city's citizens were at work. [Keep it down, will you?]

Han twisted his mouth downwards. "Great, now this idiot will think we belong to _him_! Free my backside! What does this mysterious saint want with us huh?"

Before Chewie could reply, a new voice cut in. "You know, normally when someone does something nice for a person, the gifted just says 'thank you'."

Han froze while Chewie spun about to see a young man leaning on a table not too far from them. They both knew that voice.

Managing to shake himself from his stupor with an effort, Han turned around. The person standing there looked different from the disguise he'd worn as Velius, but Han saw the blue eyes... he knew that voice, the skill— not many people could sneak up on a Wookiee— and Han studied the other with a critical eye.

"...Kid?" he whispered, unable to believe it.

And then Nella appeared from behind the newcomer to solidify the truth of what he was seeing. "Captain Solo, it's been a long time."

Han didn't move, only sat staring... and then glancing to his drink. "Alright, for once I think I've had a bit too much whiskey."

A chuckle sounded behind him, and Han heard the other approach, followed by feet halting beside their table.

Chewbacca sniffed the air and looked to Han. [He smells like the Cub, Han.]

Han swallowed hard, having learned long ago to trust a Wookiee's sense of smell. They never forgot a scent, and they always knew if someone was telling the truth. The Kid's voice, his droid... and now his scent, confirmed by Chewie... Han thinned his lips.

Rising, Han made a disbelieving motion with his hand. "What happened?" Han was sure to lower his voice so it didn't carry at all. "You're supposed to be dead."

Luke smiled softly. "I know. I have a lot to tell you."

Han gestured to the empty space next to Chewie. "Have a seat."

Luke did so, glancing up when the hostess appeared to take his order. "Just water please, and could I get the house special also?"

"Right away," she replied, jotting down notes before disappearing.

The trio waited until she was out of earshot, and Han noticed Luke's eyes went unfocused for a moment once she had. He wondered if the Kid was searching for snooping devices.

At last Luke spoke, albeit quietly. "I planned with Nella before I left the _Falcon_ for her to have Mara help get me... out."

Han frowned when Luke's eyed became haunted. "Out of where? Where'd he take you Kid? What did he do to you?"

"Too much," Luke whispered, cringing.

Han's reply was cut off by the arrival of Luke's drink, though once the waitress had moved on Han leaned forward.

"Look at me, Kid." When Luke did, Han went on. "What happened to you?"

Luke only stared for so long that Han thought he'd frozen in place, but finally the young man's eyes flooded and tears slipped down his cheeks at a rapid-fire pace. "He s-sent me to sublevel twelve!"

Han didn't like the way Luke was acting, and he had a sinking suspicion he knew what sublevel twelve meant. "Did they..."

"My own parents had me _tortured!_ " Luke cried, hunkering down when his voice carried farther than he'd have liked. His voice dropped to a bare whisper. "A-and that wasn't even the worst part!"

He turned his head toward Chewie to hide his face when his food arrived. Then he shuddered, clearly horrified.

"Tell me," Han urged gently. He needed to know.

Luke shivered again and finally looked to Han, his blue eyes wide and terrified. Han had never seen the Kid this out of sorts, not even when he'd been afraid for his sister. "I... V-Vader tried to have me poisoned... with hssiss venom!"

Chewie stiffened in shock while Han frowned in confusion. "I don't get it, what's hssiss poison?"

Luke opened his mouth to answer, but nothing came out so Chewbacca spoke instead, draping a comforting arm around Luke's shoulders.

[I've heard tales of this stuff from when Master Yoda would visit Kashyyyk. It was created by Sith Alchemists on Korriban, the Sith homeworld. The hssiss creature was infected and it became venomous... able to poison it's bite victims with the Dark Side.]

Luke leaned into Chewbacca, struggling to regain control.

Han didn't want to sound insensitive, but he still didn't fully understand. "Well, isn't there a cure for it? I mean, you have to choose the Dark, right?"

Luke didn't snap at Han, understanding that the other was truly trying to figure this out so he had the full picture. And not many knew of hssiss venom anyway, as it was a well-guarded secret.

"Normally, yes, it's a choice. But with this venom, the Dark Side is literally injected into the person, and it's agony as they instinctively fight against it. The poison destroys the victim, ripping them apart from the inside out... personality, dreams, emotions, physical strength, you name it. And the more one fights, the longer they do, the more damaged they are when it finally wins. And it always does win; it's just a matter of how long it takes."

Han's stomach felt like lead as that sank in. "So... since Vader couldn't control you on his own, he wanted to force you into what he wanted so you had no choice and no hope of ever going back?"

"Yes," Luke murmured, though he was no longer weeping. He wiped his face to erase all evidence of his tears and began eating.

Han stayed silent, gaze unfocused while he processed all this new information. What if Vader had succeeded in poisoning Luke? What monster would he have unleashed upon an unsuspecting galaxy?

Still, Han came back around to his own grief. Sighing, Han placed a hand on Luke's to halt him so the other would look into his eyes.

"I never did get to thank you for saving Chewie and me," he told Luke. His lipps thinned. "But why did you have to do it? We could have gotten clear, could have..."

"We could have continued to run for the rest of our lives instead of facing the problem and dealing with it." Luke rebuked gently.

Han deflated, knowing the Kid was right. "Yeah... I just... I don't like feeling like I let you down, you know?"

Luke shook his head. "Han, you didn't. I was the one who lied to you both. I never should have endangered the pair of you."

"Well, for what it's worth, I'm glad you did," Han declared. "Look Kid, I haven't gotten close to many folks, and for good reason. But... you're like a little brother to me. And, hell, I grew to _love_ you as a brother."

Luke's shock was evident. "Really?"

Han had to reach clear over the table to clap the other on the back, but he managed it. "Yeah, but don't go writing home about it."

Luke chuckled, gently punching Han on the shoulder in return. "No worries there." He paused, and looked around once more. "Though I do have a request."

Han lifted an intrigues eyebrow, sitting back again. "I'm listening."

Luke took a breath, held it for a moment, and then let it out. "I am training to be a Jedi now." Han's jaw dropped somewhat while Chewie's head jerked to see him more clearly. But Luke continued before they could stop him. "And I am in league with Talon Karrde in a business deal. My sister is going to work from her end as a double agent for the Empire and... the Rebellion."

Han, who had just taken a drink, coughed. That caused him to start choking on his mouthful and he began hitting his chest until he could stop sputtering. "You can't be serious!"

Luke inclined his head. "I am. And not just that, but Leia and I are going to help take down our parents."

Han gaped, but when Luke didn't budge at all or squirm, Han knew the Kid was deadly serious. He took his time in thinking things over, looking to his copilot at one point and receiving a nod.

Finally Han leaned forward, clasping his hands in front of him on the table. "What do you need me to do?"

Relief lit up Luke's eyes. "I need you to help us. I don't have any specific tasks yet, but to start I was thinking you and Chewie could help run supplies to the Alliance at least. Maybe help me with an odd job here and there, stuff like that. Meanwhile, I will be keeping to the shadows and training with my new Master."

Han nodded. "Consider it done. Chewie and Me can't really go back to where we were, and we don't want to. So we're in."

"There you are!" Luke jumped at Nakari's voice as she appeared out of thin air. "Why did you run off?"

Lando was beside her, his hands on his hips while he looked disgruntled. "Yeah, you could have gotten me into real trouble, Jirik!"

Luke opened his mouth to reply but Han beat him to it. "It's okay, Lando, he's with me."

Lando blinked, and looked between the two guys at the table, comprehension dawning. "So this is the friend you were looking for, is it?" he asked Luke.

"Yes." Luke answered simply, though he did offer an apologetic smile to Nakari. "Did you contact your father then?"

"Yes I did." Nakari smiled wistfully. "But he can't get away to meet me because the Empire is performing their annual check of his business... everything gets scrutinized. He doesn't want my freedom to be made public lest the Emperor come after me. So... I need something to do until he can get away without being noticed."

Luke pursed his lips while Lando turned on the charm. "You could stay here, I'm sure I could find accommodations for you."

Han snorted. "Lando, ease up will you?"

Luke bit his lip. "How would you like to help destroy the ones who put you in Jabba's clutches?"

That got Nakari's attention. "You mean revenge?"

Luke flinched. "More like justice. Han and I are loosely affiliated with the Rebel Alliance. Though they don't know that yet." He amended.

Nakari didn't feign her surprise. "Seriously?" She placed a hand to her chin in a thoughtful manner, and after some time—during which Lando looked about ready to die—she eventually nodded. "Alright. I'd love to help take the Empire to pieces. I know I don't stand a chance against the Emperor, but I can do other things."

Luke gestured to Han and Chewie. "Yo can stay with these two. THey could use an extra hand, and you ned a place to lie low, somewhere mobile." His eyes found Han's and the smuggler dipped his head in acceptance.

"And what about you?" she asked.

"I have a different path to take in our fight. I am needed elsewhere," Luke replied.

Lando lifted a hand. "Ah, hello, you do realize I will have to report all of this, don't you?"

Han stood, drawing closer to the other. "No, you don't and you won't."

Lando narrowed his eyes. "And why is that, Han?"

"Because under all the suave exterior and smuggling smarts is a man with a good heart." Han answered.

Lando threw up an exasperated hand. "I don't want any part of this!"

"And if you report us, the Empire will come and never leave," Luke warned, also rising. "They'd take over, and your freedom would disappear."

"So would your chance of a promotion." Han seconded.

Lando glared at them each in turn. "You're all a crazy lot," he muttered angrily, but he sighed. "Fine, but I will not be an active member of this. I don't want to go to war with the Empire on any level if I can avoid it."

Luke's lips lifted minutely. "I know how that feels, believe me."

Lando gestured. "You all should really be getting off Cloud City now."

Nakari smirked, leading the way out of the cantina. "Well then, let's get started."

Luke and Han took up the rear as they all trekked to the _Millennium Falcon's_ respective landing pads. Once they were at the door, Chewie and Nakari went through, but Han hovered back as Luke stayed in the hallway.

"You be careful now, you hear?" Han said sternly.

Luke nodded. "I will."

"And don't worry, your secret is safe with me," Han promised.

Luke produced a datachip. "This is the information you'll need to get into contact with Leia. She can get you in with the Alliance."

Han took the item. "Do they know about you?"

"No, they don't," Luke answered. "Eventually, however, I will be made known. But not yet; not until I am ready to perform my task. And that may take a while."

Han nodded. "I get that, really I do. You take your time and do it right. We'll be here. We've got your back."

Luke's heart warmed. "Thank you Han."

The former Shadow paused, ready to part ways, but then he stepped up and grabbed Han into a fierce hug. A little taken aback at first, Han returned it once he'd recovered.

"See you around Han," Luke said as he pulled away.

"Take care Kid." Han waved as the other left, Nella following.

Once they were out of sight, Han turned to board the _Falcon_ , a new fire in his soul now that he had a purpose again.

"Down with the Empire," Han whispered as the ramp shut behind him.


	43. Chapter 42

**Chapter Forty Two:**

 **Four months later**

A small group of people clustered about the hangar bay as the nondescript shuttle landed, and once the ramp lowered, they waited for the young woman onboard to descend. Eventually she did so, though she was garbed in a white pair of trousers and long-sleeve shirt.

The brunette paused at the foot of the ramp, Artoo-Detoo at her side. She met everyone's gaze in turn: Mon Mothma, Generals Crix Madine and Carlist Rieekan, and finally Wedge Antilles and some of the other Rogue Squadron pilots.

Leia wasn't sure how they would receive her after what had happened of late. "Listen, I'm sorry things haven't gone very well recently, but I couldn't control it. I did everything I could as I promised."

Mon lifted a hand. "We know, Leia. We don't hate you. However, we are very interested to know where your parents have been."

It had been months since the two rulers had gone on their little vacation, and Leia had taken advantage of their absence to do as much as she could to get this plan of hers and Luke's rolling. Leia had to make certain that her trips out into the galaxy were not suspicious, so she had to space them apart just so. She also had to falsify her logs to show where she went so her second ship remained hidden.

So far she had aided supply runs, had given the Alliance coordinates on important Imperial sites to hit, and had even helped in some of their battles. And while the Rebellion had done well, the Empire had also struck many harsh blows to the Alliance whenever their attacks had been attempted.

But lately it seemed as if the Empire was able to anticipate their moves, and the Alliance had lost many good people as a result. Hence Leia's nerves upon arriving today.

It was nice to know she didn't have the ill will of her allies, however, and it made her job easier.

Because Leia was laying the groundwork— just as Luke was doing on his end— for their campaign, and thus far she thought it was going well. She'd brought her plan before the Alliance High Command, and after several hours of intense debate— during which Leia had told them she had a trump card that would remain anonymous until further notice— they had agreed to her plan. Madine didn't like being in the dark on the mysterious person Leia claimed was the crux to their plans, but he'd been ultimately outvoted. To his credit, the man had not taken his frustration out on anyone, instead remaining loyal to the cause as he put it. Leia didn't sense any deceit in him, just a loyalty that could be overbearing at times.

However, amidst it all, she had had very little contact with her twin, even though his friend Han Solo had gotten in touch with her and was now an active part of things. She missed Luke, and wished he didn't have to be so out of touch with the galaxy, or her, but she understood why he did so. She wondered if he was aware of what was going on in the galaxy as a whole, and how well he was keeping up to date.

Coming out of her musings, Leia thinned her lips and approached the group. "So would I. But they've been gone for months now, and no one knows why. Or when they'll be back. But something is about to happen, I can feel it."

Mon looked troubled. "That cannot bode well for any of us."

"Could they be planning a super weapon?" Wedge asked. "We all remember finding Palpatine's attempt at one. If it hadn't been discovered by accident, who knows what could have happened?"

Leia shrugged uncomfortably. "I really don't know. And I won't until they return and start giving information out. But since they are gone, I've been doing as much as I can, because my progress will slow substantially once they return."

The others nodded their understanding, and Leia sighed softly. "I'm afraid I can't stay long, I just wanted to stop by since I was already passing through. I just got back from a trip that was actually approved by my parents. They may be gone, but they aren't completely out of touch." She produced a small satchel with a collection of datachips. "Here's the latest intelligence I could get. I haven't gone through it myself, but Quane claims it's all real."

Mon hesitated. "And you truly trust him?"

Leia nodded. "I do. And if you don't trust him, then trust me; please."

The senator sighed. "I just don't want you to get hurt, Leia."

The young woman smiled gratefully. "I'm afraid that risk comes with the job. But I'll be okay." She turned back toward the ship when Artoo whistled. "Time for me to go. I'll see you guys when I return. I don't know exactly when that will be."

"Be safe," Mon replied.

"Fly straight, and aim true!" the Rogues called in the typical pilot fashion.

Leia threw them a grin and then disappeared into her ship. After they were in hyperspace, Artoo bleeped for attention.

 _I have discovered nothing new on Bail's killer,_ the droid said. _I am sorry Mistress Leia._

Leia sighed tiredly. That was another thing Leia had been doing in Padmé's absence: piecing together everything she could about the murder of her mentor and friend Senator Bail Organa. So far she had a small spattering of clues, but nothing connected yet.

There had been a large transfer of credits to an anonymous account, yet even the sender remained hidden, though Leia knew it had to be Padmé. She just couldn't prove it...so far.

"Do you think I'm wasting my time with this Artoo?" Leia asked, discouraged by her lack of progress. There just wasn't a solid trail to follow.

 _Not at all,_ Artoo replied adamantly. _And you have never been one to give up._

Leia ran a hand over her face. "No, but even I have to know when to move on. This is going to have to be put on the back burner Artoo. There just isn't any cold hard data I can use to convict anyone. Unless the murderer walks up to me and confesses, I'm just going to have to put this on hold."

Artoo moaned sadly, and Leia resolutely pushed Bail's death to the back of her mind.

 _I'm sorry my friend,_ Leia whispered to the Force, wondering if Bail's spirit could hear.

 **00000**

Damielle stood ready to receive Leia as the princess landed her ship in the Royal's hangarbay. She was tense today because she had news to share with the princess.

News that made Damielle squirm on the inside.

She had put off choosing whether to report her findings on Leia to the Empress or not because the woman had been absent for so long. Damielle had found it easier to simply ignore the issue, and so she'd forgotten about it until today.

Now she had to choose, because if she didn't, she'd be in real trouble. And it only got worse: Damielle had actually been spying on Leia's activities in the hopes of finding out if they could help Damielle in turn. So that meant she had seen a few of Leia's secret happenings and trips.

 _You've put yourself in quite the pickle here, Damielle_ , she berated herself. _Why couldn't you just leave well enough alone?_

Leia emerged from her shuttle, and Damielle straightened habitually. "Welcome home Princess."

Leia offered a polite smile to her handmaiden. "Thank you Damielle. How have you been in my absence?"

"Quite well, thank you," Damielle replied. "However, I need to tell you something."

Leia looked to the other. "What is it?"

Damielle took a deep breath, some of her anxiety showing in her answer. "They... came back in secret, in the dead of night so no one would know. And they used a ship no one would suspect belonged to the Royals."

Leia stared, feeling cold as what her handmaiden was saying registered. "My parents are back?"

 _And they didn't make a big deal about it?_ Leia thought, unsettled by the very idea. Her parents always made certain their subjects knew when they were home. So what was going on?

"Yes," Damielle held out a hand with a piece of flimsi in it. "And your presence has been requested at the private wing of the Manarai Medical Center."

Despite everything, the daughter in Leia began to worry. Was one of them sick? Injured? "Did they say why?" she asked as she took the flimsi.

"No, Miss; only that you need to come as soon as you get home. Sergeant Quane is waiting to escort you in an unmarked vehicle."

Leia didn't like this, not one bit. But she couldn't refuse. And hadn't she just told Mon that something was going to happen? Steeling her resolve, Leia thanked Damielle and walked off.

"Princess?" Damielle called after her, halting Leia for a moment.

The princess turned back around. "Yes?"

Damielle was fidgeting with her hands. "May... I ask you something?"

Leia turned her head at an angle. "Of course. What is it?"

The auburn haired girl looked nervous. "If you had the chance to change your fate, despite the odds being stacked against you... and the fear of failure's consequences staring you in the face... would you take that chance?"

Leia blinked. That had been the last thing she expected to hear. But she could tell that the other needed an honest answer, and so Leia approached.

"I understand that dilemma, really I do," Leia said, careful not to reveal anything of her plans. "But I would do what was best for me; what is right for me ultimately. It's not always easy to do the right thing, but in the end it's very much worth it. Personally, I'd much rather die standing than spend my life begging on my knees."

Damielle considered that, starting to see her situation in a new light. "Yes... I think I could see myself wanting that as well. Thank you."

Leia frowned. "What brought this on?"

Damielle hesitated, knowing the Force-sensitive could tell if she was lying. She opted for a general truth. "I've been put in an impossible position... by, um..."

Leia took a guess. "By my mother?"

Damielle dipped her head. "Please don't report me to her! I swear I don't mean any disrespect Princess!"

Leia felt her heart go out to the other. "Don't worry; I'm not the tattling kind." She paused, and then ventured a thought. "Though perhaps we could spend more time together just being girls? I could use a friend of the same gender who isn't always breathing down my neck or waiting for me to slip up."

Damielle barely reigned in her flash of guilt, though the Princess's word hit her like a kick to the gut. "I... that would be wonderful."

Leia inclined her head. "I should get going; my parents don't like tardiness. We can talk some more later."

Damielle smiled softly. "Go ahead then." She watched Leia do so, and as the Princess departed, the handmaid made her decision. She would not betray Leia. She would feed the Empress just enough to keep her sated, but Damielle would not be the one to unveil Leia's changed allegiances.

 **00000**

Though she showed no outward signs of it, Leia's stomach was all but churning as she approached the wing of the hospital reserved for her family alone. Security here was airtight, with the Obsidian Guard present whenever the Emperor or Empress was.

It didn't ease Leia's restlessness any when she realized that there was extra security than normal, even for her parents. Every so many feet there was a pair of guards, one on either side of the hall once they got to the long approach for the Royals-only wing. The corridor leading up to the main doors was devoid of any other doors. However, there were hidden hatches here and there that housed defensive weaponry, making the area a death trap for anyone foolish enough to attempt to break in. And as a last resort, just before the doors to the Royal wing, a ray shield could be erected.

Leia and Quane approached the entrance under the watchful eye of her parents' guards and were admitted without question. On the other side, they were met with a three-person escort once inside the wing.

A fourth approached with a scanner in hand and he ran it over both Leia and Quane, then nodded to the trio as he returned to a security room on the left. The three guards took up a position around the newcomers, with one man walking point, while the other two flanked the rear in a triangle formation.

"Princess Leia, this way please," the one on the right said.

Leia nodded once and followed them to a room near the back. Another pair of guards stood at the door they were coming to, and Leia couldn't help but think that this was all overkill. Who needed this much security? The entire galaxy knew that the Obsidian Guards were the most highly trained men in the galaxy next to Force Users, and to take one down was a feat all on its own. In fact, every member of the Obsidian Guard had been hand-picked by Vader from those who made it to graduation night. Then those selected were put through a rigorous series of tests: and only those who passed _that_ phase of training were granted a place in the elite guard's membership.

With this many of these men present, there was no way anyone would get past without making a huge mess. As for the medical personnel, they were required to have special clearance, not to mention the fact that anything that went into or out of the wing was thoroughly searched.

So what in the stars did her parents need with such heightened security?

"Sergeant, you will wait on the bench," the same guard said, and the man in question nodded succinctly.

"Of course." Quane tipped his uniform hat to Leia. "Princess."

Leia almost wished he would go in with her, but everyone knew that you didn't argue with the Obsidian Guard, because their orders came direct from the Emperor and Empress, and thus were the highest authority save those two.

Leia paused before the doorway and took a deep breath... and then nodded to the guards, who admitted her. She entered the softly lit room, coming around the privacy curtain with a hesitant air.

"Hello?" she called softly. "Mother? Father?"

"Leia," Darth Vader's voice responded, and she saw him rise from a chair beside the main bed in the room. Leia noticed a second, mobile privacy curtain had been set up near the far wall, and her curiosity was piqued. "It is good to see you."

Leia was taken aback when Vader actually embraced her, and she almost stumbled over her return hug. Then her father retreated and Leia saw Padmé in the bed, looking weary but regal as always.

"Mother, are you ill?" Leia asked, worried. Despite everything, the daughter in Leia still loved her parents. "Did something happen while you were away?"

"Something did happen, and I _was_ sick here and there, but it passed in time." Padmé dismissed, causing Leia to frown.

"I'm afraid I don't understand."

Padmé smiled minutely, and Leia wondered if her mother was insulting Leia mentally. "Your Father and I have been working to secure this family's legacy, and its future as this galaxy's rulers."

Leia's heart sank. She had hoped— naively, apparently— that her parents had had a waking moment. She'd thought that maybe, just maybe, they were going to start trying to turn their lives around. But one glance at their souls and hearts via the Force revealed them to be as stone cold as ever.

Steeling herself, and carefully keeping all suspicious thoughts to herself, Leia played the part her parents expected her to. "And how have you been doing that?"

Vader stood and went behind the second curtain, returning seconds later with a small bundle wrapped in a soft black blanket. Leia's heart skipped a beat... and then clenched. She couldn't help her shocked expression as she looked from the bundle to her parents and back.

"Is that..." Leia almost didn't want to know, though the sister part of her was ecstatic.

"It is," Padmé responded haughtily.

Vader approached Leia and showed her what he was carrying. Leia was greeted with a tiny face and one balled fist poking out of the blanket. Her heart then melted even as she dreaded what her parents had planned for this poor child.

"Meet your new brother, Arun Vader," her father said.

"And this galaxy's future Emperor," Padmé stated without hesitation.

Leia managed to contain her sorrow, and she looked to Vader. "May I hold him?"

Her father nodded and Leia took a seat before he handed Arun to her. To her surprise, the baby shifted and his eyes opened, finding her and staring. Then she gasped lightly when she felt an untrained touch of the Force from the newborn. Leia swallowed with emotion, and smiled at her baby brother. As she did so, thoughts of another brother floated to mind, and she wept inwardly.

Sensing this, the baby's face contorted with fear and he began to squirm. Leia swiftly cut off her grief and soothed the infant, who settled back down. His fine hair was so pale blonde it was almost invisible, and though his eyes were currently blue, Leia wondered if they would turn brown to match his mother and sister.

"Hello Arun, it's so nice to meet you," Leia murmured. "I can't wait to read stories to you, and play games." She felt the keen gaze of her mother the entire time, and Leia forced herself not to react, pretending not to notice.

After some time, Arun started expressing his hunger, and so Leia gave him to Padmé for his meal. Leia wished per parents well, though their attention was now on the baby, and Leia was all but ignored as she left, with not even a goodbye to her.

Her footfalls were slow, her heart heavy as she made her way to the exit. When Quane fell into step beside her, he was understandably concerned.

"Princess Leia, are you alright?" he asked.

She didn't answer, unable to do so yet. Only when they were back in the vehicle, with the driver cut off from hearing them, did she begin to cry.

Quane scooted closer and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Leia, what happened?"

She sniffled, wiped at her nose and looked to him. "My parents are going to try to create a monster," she whispered in horror, the possibilities flickering before her mind's eye. "And then they're going to place him on the throne."

Quane did a double-take, though his bewilderment was still evident. "What do you mean?"

Leia's heart was breaking for Arun. "My parents just had a baby."

 **END of Book One.**

* * *

 **(** **A/N** **:** Follow the cast through _Book 2: Luminance_ , to be in production in the near future. {I will also be working on " _Son of Circumstance_ " next for those who want to know.} Thank you to those who came back after my extended break. God bless! **)**


End file.
